Chemicals React: Finding a Balance Sequel
by Miss Mouse 1421
Summary: As the title says, this is a sequel to Finding a Balance. In this story we will be getting glimpses into Naruto and Sasuke's new romantic relationship. One shots with no central plot. NaruSasu. Rated M, just in case.
1. Camping Extravaganza: Part 1

**Laura: _Guess who's back. Back again. Laura's back. Tell a friend._ Hey guys! Betcha thought you were never gonna get a sequel to Finding a Balance, huh? Yes? Good. Because neither did I. XD In all honesty guys I have jotted down a few ideas that are just too tempting not to write and share with all of you. I know I said this the first time, but I'll say it again. You aren't going to find a real plot here. If I continue this into a little mini series it'll just be one shots filled with fluffy goodness. This should be the only chapter that addresses some unresolved issues between our lovebirds. But, who knows. I never seem to stick to my plans anyway. :P **

**I also just quickly want to address my lengthy absence in posting. I don't have an excuse. I lost interest in posting. Simple as that. Unfortunately, because I've waited so long to return, I'm now feeling nervous and self conscious about posting again. But I'm forcing myself to do it because I know I had some wonderful readers who really enjoyed this story and I know, if I was in your shoes, I would be thrilled to see a sequel of a story I thoroughly enjoyed. So I pray you'll take pity on me and put my pour heart at ease for this first chapter. After this it's open season.** **Alright! Lets do this!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss. (Yay! I brought it back!)**

* * *

"Flashlight... check. Extra jackets... check. Batteries... Batteries?" Sasuke double checked all the pockets on his suitcase and even his own pockets, but the batteries were no where to be found. "Naruto?" Sasuke called down the hallway as he was putting the rest of his things in his suitcase. "Yeah?" came the muffled response from the bathroom. "Do you know where the batteries are? I could have sworn I put them on the pile." Naruto didn't answer right away so Sasuke figured he just didn't know and continued to search. He had been going over his check list in the living room so he decided to lift up the cushions on the couch just in case anything had fallen between the seats.

Nada.

"Looking for these?" Sasuke was momentarily startled when a hand appeared in front of his face holding an unopened pack of batteries. The Uchiha smiled and took the package. "Thanks."

Naruto leaned in and kissed his temple before walking to the other side of the couch and looking down at Sasuke's progress. "I should have gotten you to do my packing for me," he said, impressed by Sasuke's organizing skills. "It never hurts to be thorough," Sasuke replied, still staring down at his list. "Should I bring extra shampoo? I don't know about you, but I like to shower every morning. I should probably bring another little bottle." Sasuke finally looked up when he noticed Naruto chuckling. "What?" he asked confused. "Sasuke, there aren't any showers."

"Huh?"

"No showers. We're roughing it."

"' _Roughing it'_?"

Naruto had to hold himself back from laughing at Sasuke's lost puppy look. "That's what the ocean is for. Just grab a bar of soap and you're good to go." Naruto was expecting some kind of glare in response, but Sasuke, surprisingly, said nothing. "What are you doing?" Naruto asked curiously as the Uchiha furiously began unpacking his bag. "I'm not going," he mumbled stubbornly. "Oh come on, Sasuke. It'll be fun."

"How did I even agree to this in the first place?"

"Because I asked and I'm cute."

Sasuke smirked up at his cheeky boyfriend. "I seem to recall relentless begging and flattery."

"Well, yeah. That too, but it's mostly because you wanted to expand your horizons. You told me yourself, remember? You said you wanted to try new things. Well, this is new. I still can't believe you've never gone camping before." Sasuke shrugged before sitting on the couch next to his things. "I guess I never really thought about it. Itachi's always been more of an indoor person. I didn't really have the opportunity to go."

Naruto frowned at hearing this. Sometimes he could forget how differently Sasuke had grown up compared to his own childhood. It made him sad that Sasuke didn't have the same opportunities as he did. The Uchiha had probably missed out on a lot of things that Naruto didn't even know about yet. What was strange, however, is that none of this seemed to affect him. Sasuke never complained or appeared to hold a grudge. He was just Sasuke. Always moving forward, never looking back. This thought made Naruto smile again, if only for a brief moment.

"What about you?" Sasuke asked. "Did you camp a lot when you were young?"

"Oh yeah. Tons." Naruto hopped over the back of the couch and landed next to Sasuke with a thump. "One summer my parents packed up the motor home and drove us around to 4 or 5 different campsites. It was the longest 4 weeks of my life, but it was so worth it." Naruto grinned at the memory bringing a smile to Sasuke's face as well. "We hiked, we swam, ate, played games. But my favourite would have to be sitting around the fire and eating s'mores. I would always beg my dad to let me start the fire... I don't think he actually let me until I was 13."

"That's nice..."

Naruto smirked at Sasuke's obvious hesitation. "You're going to love it too. I promise. Just you, me and the great outdoors."

"And Kiba and Gaara and Ino..." Sasuke continued on a little bitterly. Spending the weekend camping with just Naruto would have been enough, probably quite enjoyable, but Sasuke wasn't really sure about the others.

"You remembered to invite Hinata, right?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Yes, but I still don't know why you were pushing it so hard."

"You're friends, aren't you?"

"Not really... We only see each other in book club. Besides, I seriously doubt you wanting me to bring a friend along was the only reason for inviting her." Naruto hopped up out of his seat and offered Sasuke his hand which, of course, Sasuke took almost immediately. "You caught me." Naruto shrugged half heartedly. "I wanna set her up with Kiba. I think she would be good for him."

"And what exactly has Hinata done to deserve this punishment?" Sasuke asked with an arched eyebrow as Naruto helped him to his feet. "Now now, play nice. He'd never admit it, but he's been pretty lonely lately. I figured a girlfriend might cheer him up." Naruto headed down the hall and disappeared into his bedroom, most likely to grab the rest of his things, leaving Sasuke to grumble to himself in the living room.

If Sasuke was being completely honest, he wasn't nearly as agitated as he portrayed himself to be. In fact, Sasuke would even go as far to say he was _excited_. Naruto hadn't been lying earlier. Sasuke really did want to try new things. Especially now that he and Naruto were dating. Sasuke wanted to share Naruto's world, no matter how different it may be from his own. The only problem was, Sasuke was still a very reserved person. He was used to being on his own, not surrounded by his rowdy peers. Being around Naruto's friends was going to take some getting used to, but that was fine because Sasuke was willing to make the effort. If it would make Naruto happy, Sasuke would try.

* * *

The two men were on the road by 11:30 driving through the woods on a road that Sasuke was convinced had been made by woods people. When Naruto asked him what that even meant, Sasuke told him they were very similar to the people from _The Hills Have Eyes_ and left it at that.

The campsite was about an hour away from their college so Sasuke tried to sneak in a quick nap while Naruto drove. It was oddly peaceful for Naruto with the radio lightly playing in the background and Sasuke asleep in the seat beside him. Naruto was absolutely thrilled that Sasuke had agreed to come with him. The two hadn't really done anything too adventurous since they started dating. Sure they went out to a fancy dinner every once in awhile, but it wasn't very exciting. As long as Sasuke was there Naruto had no real complaints, but it never hurts to spice things up a bit.

Thanks to a lack of traffic, Naruto and Sasuke found themselves at their destination right on time. Sasuke could swear that Naruto was almost vibrating with excitement as they slowly drove past a big wooden sign at the entrance of the campgrounds. "Sasuke, welcome to camp Toogit," Naruto announced proudly.

Sasuke leaned over in his seat to stare out the window while Naruto checked them in and was given the campground number. Sasuke had to admit, the area was nice. The tall trees shading the campsites, the smell of the ocean just around the corner, the endless number of trails just waiting to be explored. It was a good spot. Not too shabby for Sasuke's first camping experience. However, the Uchiha didn't let himself get too memorized by the beauty of nature as they drove past the portapotties. This was when he was reminded, yet again, of the lack of showers and indoor plumbing.

"Keep an eye out for 36 and 37."

Naruto and Kiba had booked a double campsite, claiming it would be easier for all of them to take part in the festivities they had planned with more space. Sasuke could only assume that meant getting drunk off their asses and having sex in their tents.

Speaking of _sex_...

"You should know, under no circumstances will I be having sex with you on this trip." Naruto accidentally stepped down on the brake, surprised by the out of the blue declaration coming from his boyfriend, causing the car to jerk forward. Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto quickly regained his composure and had the car running smoothly once again down the dirt roads. "Any particular reason why?" he asked, still a little taken aback by Sasuke's announcement. Sasuke shrugged an uninterested shoulder as he counted down the numbers until they reached their site. "First of all, we will not be alone on this trip. Second of all, I am not having sex outside. It's dirty."

"That's what makes it fun," Naruto said with a smirk, earning a sour glare from the Uchiha. "I'm serious, Naruto. No funny business or I'll be bunking with someone else tonight." Sasuke didn't know where he would go if he actually made good on his threat, but he hoped the idea would be enough to keep the blonde's hands to himself. "36 and 37. There." Sasuke pointed out his window, effectively putting an end to the conversation. Naruto chuckled and shook his head before backing into the campsite with the assistance of Kiba, who was waving his arms around obnoxiously in the rear view mirror. Once parked, Naruto unclipped his seat belt, popped the trunk and hopped out of the car, greeting Kiba with a loud shout and pat on the back. Sasuke was a little slower with his exit. As soon as he stepped outside, Sasuke's nostrils were filled with the sent of pine needles and salty ocean air. Gaara, who had hitched a ride with Kiba, was busy setting up his tent, but stopped momentarily to wave at Sasuke. Sasuke waved back before Kiba came striding up to him. "Oh goodie, you brought Mr Clean," Kiba said in a playful tease. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in irritation. "Is this going to be a reoccurring thing with you?" he asked slightly apprehensive. "What?"

"Calling me 'Mr Clean'. What's up with that anyway?" Kiba pretended to get all offensive earning him a quick smirk from the blonde. "Why _Sasuke_. You should be honoured. Having a nickname means I can actually tolerate you."

"You never gave me a nickname," Naruto commented as he started unpacking their supplies out of the trunk.

Kiba smirked. "Not one you know about anyway."

"Great. Then you two can share a tent. That's what you wanted, right Sasuke?" The look of dread on both Sasuke's and Kiba's face was enough to make Naruto laugh and even get Gaara to chuckle.

Sasuke quickly helped Naruto unload the rest of their stuff and then offered to help put the tent up. "You need to attach these poles then slide them into the coloured sleeves. Once the tent is raised, you'll want to stick the end of the poles on these little pins at each corner, like so." Naruto demonstrated as Sasuke followed his every move with persice concentration. "You got it?" Sasuke quickly nodded and repeated Naruto's actions as quickly and efficiently as he could. The Uchiha was determined not to make a fool out of himself from his sheer lack of experience. He wanted to be useful. If there was one thing Sasuke was good at, it was learning new skills.

While the boys worked on their tents, Naruto asked where the girls were.

"They wanted to take a third car," Kiba said as he cracked the first of many beers to come.

"Why?" Naruto questioned.

"Hell if I know. Said they needed more room."

Sasuke's eyebrow rose quizzically. "They're aware this is only a weekend trip, right?" Naruto couldn't help but crack a smile in Sasuke's direction.

See, Sasuke was already fitting in, cracking jokes and bringing out that witty personality of his. Naruto knew it would turn out like this. Sasuke had been worried about nothing. Naruto had a really good feeling about this trip. This would be good for him. Good for the both of them.

When Sasuke struggled to drape the cover over the tent, Naruto put his height to good use and grabbed a corner and helped him slide it over the top. "Thanks," Sasuke said, looking a little bashful. Naruto just grinned and clapped him on the shoulder with a congratulatory smack. "Nice job. Should do the trick."

"Hey, Naruto." At hearing his name, Naruto turned around to face Gaara who was kneeling down by the fire pit. "We're gonna cook up some hot dogs for lunch. Wanna start this thing?" Naruto's eyes lit up in an adorably excited way before he giddily walked over to meet the red head. "Hell yeah I do." Sasuke watched with a fond smile as Naruto started gathering sticks and twigs around the campsite for kindling, a certain kind of skip in his step, bordering on a dance. "Is this some sort of macho thing?" Sasuke asked Kiba absentmindedly when the brunette passed by him holding a bag of hot dog buns. Kiba shrugged as he dropped the bag onto the picnic table and brushed off a few fallen pine needles. "Dude's weird," was all he contributed to the conversation before wandering off to gather all the appropriate condiments for their lunch.

Sasuke playfully rolled his eyes at Naruto's excited whooping when he caught a flame and managed to keep it going. The Uchiha went back to the car and pulled out a travel size pump from under the seat before ducking into their tent and unrolling the mattress Naruto had already left inside. No showers and proper toilets were one thing, but Sasuke absolutely refused to spend his weekend sleeping on the hard ground. Naruto agreed to the small compromise, although Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if he woke up in the morning to find the big dope sleeping on the ground, just so he can get the full 'camping experience'.

When Sasuke had finished pumping up the mattress, the four men pulled up a chair and engaged in idle chit chat as they roasted their hot dogs over the fire. A fire that Naruto was way too proud of to stop grinning even for a second. It wasn't until 12:15 that a familiar car pulled into the campsite neighbouring theirs. "Honey, I'm home!" Ino announced happily as she slipped out of the drivers seat. The men abandoned their lunch in favour of heading over to the car and helping the girls unpack. Hinata waved sheepishly at Sasuke earning her a sympathetic smile in return. Clearly, she was just as nervous as Sasuke was. It almost made him feel more at ease knowing someone else was sharing his doubts.

He was definitely going to try and create a friendship between them that went beyond a short meeting every other week.

Sasuke went on to introduce Hinata to the rest of the group when Ino suddenly pulled Naruto off to the side out of ear shot. "Don't hate me," she said abruptly, nervously looking between Naruto and her car. Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked. "It was so last minute. I hadn't planned- I mean I wasn't _scheming_ or anything. I probably should have called- scratch that - I _know_ I should have called you, but I knew there was no way you'd come if I did. I know you told me to leave it alone, but I wanna help, you know? Maybe you won't see it that way, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry and I love you and-" Before Ino could continue her nervous rambling, the backseat of her car opened and a third body slipped out onto the dirt. Naruto had the good sense not to groan too audibly as Sakura waved a timid, nervous hand in his direction.

So much for his fun weekend.

* * *

 **Laura: Jumping right into the drama this time hahah. Don't worry too much. Good things are ahead. Thanks so much for reading you guys. I really hope you liked this. If you wanna read more you know what to do ;D Until next time...?**


	2. Camping Extravaganza: Part 2

**Laura: Okay! We're back once again! Sorry for the wait. I've been working on a lot of sinful smut for another fandom... Is that TMI? Lol. Anyway, without further a due, please enjoy part 2!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss.**

* * *

Sasuke cringed as Ino let out another ear piercing scream that echoed through the campsites.

"NARUTO LET ME GO!" she screeched while pounding into his back with her fists. After Sakura made her surprise (and less than welcomed) appearance, Naruto had immediately bent down and lung Ino over his shoulder. He walked out of the campsite, ignoring everyone's questioning eyes, and started heading down a trail that would leadhim to the ocean. Sasuke quickly hurried after them in hopes of avoiding any awkwardness with Sakura, at least for the time being.

To say Sasuke was less than thrilled to see the pinkette was the understatement of the century. After their last talk, Sasuke didn't really know where the two of them stood. All he knew for sure was he wasn't entirely comfortable around her anymore. He assumed Naruto wasn't handling it too well either, if the abduction of one of his closest friends was anything to go by. He wasn't exactly sure what was going through the blonde's head when he first saw her, but he knew eventually they were going to have to talk about it. He wished Sakura would stop being such a problem for them, but if Naruto couldn't even see her without having a meltdown, Sasuke knew it was something they would have to deal with sooner rather than later. Especially now that they had established their relationship. Whether they liked it or not, Sakura wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"PUT ME DOWN YOU NEANDERTHAL!" Ino screamed while she trashed wildly at his back. Naruto rolled his eyes dismissively as he shifted Ino's weight on his shoulder into a more comfortable position. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

"I'm gonna throw your ass in the ocean!" Naruto yelled back as he stepped out onto the beach. Sasuke probably should have said something at this point or at least tried to stop him, but in all honesty the whole performance was rather entertaining. He was sure it wouldn't win him any friendship points with Ino, but in the moment that didn't seem to bother him enough to stop Naruto. "I can't swim!" Ino squawked back as Naruto brought them closer and closer to the water's edge. "I don't care." Naruto shot back. "You bastard! You know I can swim!"

"That's disappointing."

"NARUTO!" Naruto stopped a few steps away from the approaching tide and rolled his eyes dramatically before turning around and putting Ino back on the ground. He had no intention of actually throwing her in. It was only meant to scare her and give him an excuse to leave the camp. Besides, she would have slit his throat if he had ruined her expensive outfit.

Ino quickly punched him in the shoulder and then immediately proceeded to shout profanities about her knuckles being broken. For a split second Naruto had the urge to punch her back. He didn't, obviously. But it sure as hell was tempting. "Have you lost your goddamn mind?!" Ino shrieked as Sasuke slowly approached them from behind. He wasn't even sure the two had even noticed him following them. "Oh I am _so sorry_ , Ino. It must be just _awful_ being thrown off guard like that. I can't even _begin_ to imagine what _that's_ like." Naruto's voice was dripping in sarcasm as he glared down at the blonde in front of him.

"I already told you I was sorry!" Ino let out an annoyed huff when Naruto scoffed and let his eyes wander down the beach, a sure sign he was trying to ignore her apology. "What the hell's your problem anyway? You're acting like a child! This is _Sakura_. She's not some kind of disease. I don't understand why you're trying to avoid her like she's the freakin' plaque or something." Naruto's eyes quickly snapped back to meet Ino's. His voice was clipped as he spoke. Sasuke could tell he was quickly losing his patience. "Do you listen to anything I say at all? I told you, Ino. I told you it was over. Why can't you just leave it alone? I asked you to leave it alone and then you go and do something like this. Jesus, do I have to stop trusting you too?" Apparently those words struck a chord in Ino because the fight quickly drained out of her. Her eyes softened as she lowered her voice and tried her best to keep the peace between them. "Naruto, whether you want to see it that way or not, I really _am_ trying to help you. You can deny it all you want, but what Sakura did is still eating at you. I know it is! I know you're all about the trust thing and you won't let it go until things are resolved."

"It's resolved." Naruto's voice sounded strained coming out of his mouth, like he didn't really believe what he was saying was the truth. "I already talked to her weeks ago, after I found out what happened. I told her that was it. I told her we were done. She took the hint so why can't you?"

"Because I know you don't mean that! Look me in the eye and tell me that having things go back to the way they were before this whole mess happened wouldn't make you happy. Go on, say it." Naruto's eyes briefly glanced over to meet Sasuke's. The Uchiha was a little startled by the sudden acknowledgment, but he still managed to catch the hint of a smile on Naruto's face before his eyes were once again back on Ino. "I don't want things to go back to the way they were," he said with the upmost confidence. Sasuke's cheeks tinted pink and his heart stuttered in his chest realizing the hidden meaning behind his words.

Ino frowned, obviously not getting the response she was hoping for. "Okay, fine. Maybe not the exact same way, but I want my friends to be able to hang out with each other without feeling like I have to walk on eggshells to make everyone happy. And I know you want that too. Now please— _please_ just promise me you will try. That's all I'm asking for here." Naruto seemed to consider this for a moment, eventually sighing and dropping his shoulders. "Don't expect a miracle," he said hoping to lower her expectations. "And be prepared to kiss my ass for the rest of the weekend as part of your punishment. Otherwise, I'm diving in and I'm taking you with me." Naruto flashed her the hint of a smile to show he was teasing (sorta) before reaching out and ruffling her hair playfully like he would sometimes do to Konohamaru. Unlike Konohamaru, instead of sinking her teeth into his hand and calling him names, Ino closed her eyes and giggled before pushing his hand away and smiling up at him. Sure, Naruto was still pissed at her for keeping him in the dark, but he knew that in her own messed up way she was only trying to do what she thought was best for him.

She was obviously wrong, but it was the thought that counts.

Ino eventually turned around and was clearly startled by Sasuke's presence. She uttered a quick greeting before racing back up the beach and disappearing down the path. The two men watched her leave before Sasuke looked back and took a step closer to his boyfriend. "You gonna be okay?" he asked with a sympathetic smile. Naruto shrugged half heartedly as he swung an arm over the Uchiha's shoulders. "As much as I hate to admit it, Ino's right. Since when do I hide from people like this? It's pathetic." The two slowly made their way back up the beach, taking their time to prolong the inevitable shit hitting the fan when they got back to camp. "I'm a mature adult, aren't I?" Naruto continued. "As close as you're going to get I suppose." Sasuke smirked when Naruto rolled his eyes light-heartedly. "Well I'm going to start acting like it," the blonde declared in all seriousness now. "I'm going to make this trip fun for us if it kills me."

"And Sakura?"

"I… haven't figured that part out yet. But I'm sure I can find something to help distract me." Sasuke tried to ignore the way Naruto's hand sensually slid down his back, the action painfully suggestive. Sasuke glared at him half heartedly but Naruto just grinned to himself as they reached the dirt road.

* * *

Back at camp everyone seemed to have finished setting up their tents and were ready to start exploring the trails. Naruto got a few weird looks from some of his friends as he marched back into camp, carefully avoiding Sakura's concerned eyes. The atmosphere was tense with such a big elephant in the room. Hinata seemed to be the only one out of the loop, but even she could tell something was going on from all the tense stares and awkward clearing of the throat. "So, we gonna go check this place out or what?" Kiba, bless him, was the first to break the tension. Everyone mumbled in agreement before heading towards the first trail behind their campsite. Naruto, Gaara and Kiba took the liberty of leading the group down the winding trails, giving Sasuke a chance to catch up with Hinata. "I'm glad you could come," Sasuke said sincerely as he flashed her an easy smile. Hinata blushed and looked down at her feet. "I don't think I really fit in here…" she mumbled. Sasuke smirked. "Join the club."

Hinata looked back up and gave him a shy smile of her own before she let her eyes wander to the front of the pack. "Is your roommate okay? He seemed upset when we pulled in." Sasuke considered correcting her, but he didn't want their first attempt at being real friends to be all about his sexual preferences.

He'd mention it later. If the timing seemed appropriate…

"It's kind of a long story..." he said instead. Hinata hummed thoughtfully. "I get the feeling Sakura is somehow involved?"

"You're sharp."

"You know… I talked to her a lot on the way up here. She seemed really excited to see you guys. Whatever happened between the two of them, I'm sure they can work it out. Don't you think so?" Sasuke sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up ahead. He found the back of Naruto's head happily chatting with Kiba while Ino and Sakura lingered behind. "I don't know," Sasuke said honestly. "But for their sake, I hope so."

Ino's words echoed through Sasuke's head, reminding him that Naruto had probably been stressing over his relationship (or lack there of) with Sakura, the entire time they've been together. Sasuke meant what he said. He wanted them to work it out, but to what extent? He couldn't deny that he was still a little jealous of her. Naruto and Sakura had history. The brief and generally unpleasant history that Sasuke and Naruto shared was almost laughable compared to theirs. Not to mention this was someone Naruto had slept with. Sasuke wasn't wrong to feel uncomfortable by this fact. He had no interest in 'staking his claim' or making Sakura feel unwelcome, but he couldn't force away his feelings of animosity towards her. Sasuke was trying to start a good foundation for their new romantic relationship. If Naruto was still thinking about his ex girlfriend, they'll never be able to move past it and focus on them, _together_.

* * *

Eventually, the group of young adults met a fork in the trail that started a lively debate about which path to take. Kiba wanted to go up the hill because he apparently was an endless ball of energy. Ino wanted to go down the middle because it looked like an easier walk than the others. And Sasuke wanted to go to the left because he had this bizarre theory that the closer they were to the ocean, the smaller the chance they would run into a bear or any other wild animal intending to harm them. "Why don't we split up?" Naruto suggested while spinning himself around a tree. "They all must meet up eventually, right?"

Everyone split up into groups. Naruto went with Sasuke down the left. Kiba and Gaara went up the hill. And the three girls went down the middle. Sakura started like she was going to follow Naruto, but she decided against it and quickly followed after Hinata and Ino instead. "So what do you think?" Naruto asked Sasuke once they were out of ear shot of the others. "Did I done good?" A smile pulled at the corner of Sasuke's lips as Naruto walked beside him, grinning madly. "Yeah Naruto. You done good." Sasuke's praise only seemed to make Naruto's grin wider. "Man, this is the life." Naruto bent down and picked up a branch to use as a walking stick while Sasuke hurried to keep up with him. "Out in the fresh air, nio responsibilities. Just me with my best buds and my boyfriend. Doesn't get much better than this." Sasuke sighed in a huff after tripping over a root in the ground. "If you say so." Naruto was a few steps ahead of him, but turned around and started walking backwards so he could look at his face. "You aren't still pissed about Sakura, are you?" Sasuke tried not to sound offended. "I was never pissed. You're the one who brought it up."

"Fair point, but I just want to make sure we're good. That she's not gonna get between us or whatever. Cause, you know, that would really suck…" It may not have been the most eloquent declaration, but the sentiment was real.

Sasuke's face softened as Naruto closed the distance between them. The Uchiha wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck and quickly kissed his cheek. Naruto smiled when they locked eyes. "We're good," Sasuke promised. "If you ever need backup, just let me know." Naruto chuckled before leaning in and stealing a chaste kiss. "Duly noted. And really, you have nothing to worry about. Sakura is a part of my past and you… well… You're part of my future. Maybe. Hopefully…"

Sasuke couldn't help but laugh at Naruto's sheepish grin. It didn't take anything away from Naruto's words, but it made Sasuke a little more comfortable knowing Naruto had a hard time expressing himself too. "I get it, Naruto. Really I do. And as far as Sakura goes," Sasuke paused for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. "Just— do what you have to do, alright? Whatever it is, I promise I won't get mad." Naruto seemed to consider this for a minute before reaching down and lacing his fingers with Sasuke's. "And I promise not to do anything to make you mad. Deal?" Sasuke nodded. "Deal." The two smiled at each other before leaning in for another kiss.

Naruto was glad Sasuke seemed to get the message. The last thing he wanted was for Sasuke to feel threatened by Sakura's presence. He really didn't know what he was going to do about Sakura. As much as he may want to, he couldn't just ignore her all weekend. Besides, he said it himself. He was going to be a mature adult, and if that meant talking to her about what went down, then he was determined to do it with a clear head. He still couldn't relax completely knowing this talk was inevitable, but he tried his hardest to mask it with a smile. Sasuke could sense his anxiety and allowed them to walk the rest of the way in a comfortable silence; his hand squeezing Naruto's just a little bit tighter as they went.

* * *

The trails never met up with the others like Naruto had hoped so the two of them decided to head back to camp. Naruto would never admit it, but Sasuke knew he must have gotten them lost at least twice before finding the campsite. By the time they had all made it back, it was close to 2 pm. The girls put out a few snacks and a couple of beers before suggesting a trip to the beach. While everyone gathered their beach equipment had headed into their tents to change, Sakura asked Kiba if she could borrow a pump to blow up her inner tube. Kiba looked extremely uncomfortable, which was a rare thing for him. He glanced in Naruto's direction, almost as if he was looking for permission to speak with her. He was, actually.

Kiba was Naruto's best friend and he was always on his side. He had no idea what was allowed in this kind of situation before lines were crossed.

Naruto didn't respond verbally, but shrugged instead before ducking into his and Sasuke's tent to change. Naruto insisted that he and Sasuke leave their shirts in the tent out of convenience, but Sasuke knew Naruto well enough at this point to know he had an ulterior motive. Staying true to his word, Sasuke did his damndest to ignore the way Naruto would blatantly check him out every time he would turn his back. If the blonde was going to make this difficult for him then Sasuke would give it everything he's got to not give in. He honestly didn't know how he was going to survive the night with him in an enclosed space, but he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

For now, his only mission was to get to the beach without pitching a different kind of 'tent'.

* * *

 **Laura: Thanks for reading everyone! If you enjoyed this chapter you know what to do! ;D See you in part 3!**


	3. Camping Extravaganza: Part 3

**Laura: Hey guys! I really wanted to get this chapter out for you on Christmas, but I sorta passed out after all of the festivities :P (Not because I was drinking... I fell asleep... I just wanted to clairify lol) So instead I shall give it to you on Boxing Day!** **Happy Holidays everyone! XD**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss.**

* * *

The trek to the beach was filled with lively chit chat and playful banter. Naruto was still avoiding talking to Sakura like the plague but he seemed distracted enough by his friends to not be bothered by her. On the way over Sasuke struck up a conversation with Gaara. Other than Shikamaru, the Uchiha felt he could connect with Gaara the most out of everyone in the group. Gaara was extremely intelligent which sometimes got over looked by his silence. Sasuke wasn't going to lie; the dude was a little scary. But he could understand why Naruto liked hanging out with him. It was always nice to have a rational, levelheaded person to talk to. Even if said person could paralyze you with a single glance.

Sasuke not-so-subtly brought up the Naruto and Sakura dilemma hoping Gaara could provide him with some helpful insight. Naruto and Sasuke's relationship was still relatively fresh. Which in this case meant Sasuke didn't know who Naruto had told. He knew Kiba had found out. Obviously Sasuke had told Itachi. Naruto's parents knew as well. Everyone else was left to their own speculations. Sasuke didn't think he and Naruto had been particularly 'showy' when it came to their relationship. Sasuke really wasn't comfortable with PDA, and Naruto respected that, only ever touching Sasuke when they were alone. The Uchiha wasn't bothered by the secrecy. In fact, he thought it to be helpful. They were still figuring each other out, trying to create some kind of routine between them. Why complicate things by bringing in other people's opinions? As long as they were both comfortable, Sasuke saw nothing wrong with taking their time in coming out as a couple. Regardless of Gaara's knowledge of their relationship, Sasuke saw no harm in seeking his opinion on the matter.

Gaara claimed he was staying out of it but Sasuke could sense he was on Naruto's side, as he should be. The red head's only advice was to stay out of it and let them handle it on their own.

Sasuke didn't consider himself to be someone who meddled in other people's affairs, but it was different when it involved someone he cared about. The thought of talking to Sakura himself had crossed his mind more than once after she had arrived, but something kept him at bay. Sasuke felt like he went through hell and back to be with Naruto and he couldn't stand the thought of it all coming to an end because of his impulsive jealousy. In a roundabout way, he suspected Gaara was telling him to butt out because it was none of his business. And yes, at the time of the 'incident', Sasuke had no involvement in Naruto's relationship with Sakura. But now she was affecting his own relationship with the blonde and it just wasn't right.

Sasuke was unfairly caught in the middle of a feud between exs. Naruto was his boyfriend which made his involvement inevitable. And who knows. Maybe Sakura blames him for Naruto not wanting her back. After all, Sasuke himself had told Sakura to let him go. He was already a part of this mess, but at the same time he felt he shouldn't be. At the end of all this pointless agonizing, Sasuke realized it was just that. _Pointless_. At the end of the day, it all came down to Naruto and what he wanted. All Sasuke could do was hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

When Naruto looked over his shoulder and gave Sasuke a softer, more affection smile than all the others he had shown his friends, Sasuke felt a little more optimistic that perhaps the odds would be in their favour.

Only time would tell.

* * *

The beach was exceptionally busy filled with the afternoon crowd. Parents watched from their beach chairs and blankets as their kids built sand castles and happily splashed around in the water. They didn't have the greatest weather and the sun was undoubtedly missed, but the sky was still blue and showed no signs of rain so they decided to be grateful for what they were given.

Everyone set down their bags and beach supplies before pulling out their towels and lying them down in the sand. "I never get tired of that smell," Naruto said as he inhaled deeply through his nose. "I hate salt water," Ino complained as she stripped out of her clothes to reveal a plain purple bikini top and matching bottoms. "I'm not really a fan either," Sakura agreed as she sat down cross legged on her pink flowery towel. Until now she had kept her opinions mostly to herself or between her and Ino. Naruto assumed she was trying to keep a low profile. Now, however, she seemed confident enough to speak up. "Last summer Naruto and I went with his parents to this lake house and the water was... was, uh-" Sakura suddenly stopped short when she noticed Naruto staring at her. Not quite a glare but not particularly encouraging her to continue either. Kiba eye'd the two of them warily before returning to unpack his things. "It was nice," Sakura finished lamely before essentially buttoning her lip and staring down into her lap. Ino looked like she was ready to pop Naruto in the nose but Naruto was focused solely on Sasuke now.

The Uchiha flashed him the hint of a smile but it was hardly reassuring or comforting. Sadly, it was all Sasuke could offer him at the moment.

"Are we going to swim or what?" Gaara rarely spoke up and tried to initiate a new activity, but everyone seemed thankful for the distraction. Especially Sakura. "Last one in does the dishes tonight!" Kiba announced before taking off towards the ocean. Gaara was the only one who actually chased after him. Not because he enjoyed such childish acts. He just wanted to beat Kiba at his own game and rub it in his face later.

Naruto chuckled to himself before falling in step with Sasuke and gradually making their way down the beach. Hinata also stuck pretty close to Sasuke, which he didn't mind really. After all, he was the only one she really knew. Unsurprisingly, Ino and Sakura stayed behind.

"You ever get the feeling people are talking about you behind your back?" Naruto asked sarcastically as he gestured over his shoulder with a flick of his head. Sasuke looked behind them and, sure enough, Ino and Sakura were blatantly whispering to each other while looking in their direction. "We're still having fun, right?" Naruto sounded more hopeful than anything. "Oh yes. Nothing screams 'fun' more than choking on salt water and cutting your bare feet on barnacles." Sasuke just barely missed stepping directly onto said barnacles as he said this, earning an amused smirk from Naruto. "Would you like me to carry you?" Naruto had asked quietly enough so only Sasuke could hear. He had only said it to tease him but Sasuke actually considered it for a split second, making Naruto laugh fully this time. Once again, Naruto was hushed as he spoke. "Come on, babe. Let's get _wet_." Naruto had said it in such a sexual way that Sasuke couldn't help but snort in amusement. Naruto grinned playfully as Sasuke and Hinata followed him into the water.

Kiba and Gaara were in the middle of a lively debate about who had gotten there first, which had somehow escalated into Gaara low-key trying to drown Kiba. Naruto seemed uninterested as he dived into the clear waters and popped back up again, feeling refreshed. Hinata wandered around the shoreline by herself looking for starfish.

Sasuke stopped at about his thighs and just walked around, keeping an eye on where he was stepping. Naruto floated on his back and encouraged Sasuke to just take the plunge and join him. Sasuke absentmindedly waved him off as a couple of crabs scurried past his feet. Eventually Sasuke stepped into a field of seaweed that squished between his toes and tickled his feet. It felt disgusting and Sasuke quickly moved to escape the feeling. Unbeknownst to Sasuke, he was heading right for a drop off hidden by the seaweed. Naruto watched as Sasuke took a step and sunk into the water, all but the crown of his head getting drenched. Sasuke quickly popped back up to the sound of Naruto's hysterical laughter. "Way to take the plunge there, Sasuke!" he laughed from his belly. Sasuke knew it was juvenile but that didn't stop him from splashing Naruto with the intent to physically harm him.

Despite a few minutes of pouting on Sasuke's part, everything else was smooth sailing. The boys played a game of water football with the beach ball, Hinata acting as referee, that Naruto and Kiba ended up winning. The teams were hardly fair considering they were the only two who were actually athletic. Gaara resorted to drowning again when Kiba's boasting became tiresome, to which Naruto and Sasuke turned a blind eye and decided to head back for a snack.

An hour went by of the friends alternating between swimming and resting where their equipment was set up. The three girls were in the middle of constructing a marvellous sandcastle while Naruto wandered around the beach looking for anything they could use to decorate. Sasuke sat in his chair quite happily reading his book while Gaara napped on his towel a few feet away. Sasuke would admit it. He liked the beach. He felt completely relaxed for the first time since Sakura had shown up. There was something so peaceful about the sound of the waves hitting the beach and the wind blowing in the trees. Sasuke realized that Naruto didn't need to promise him fun and excitement. As long as he had this, he was content.

His bubble of serenity was suddenly popped when he caught Kiba in the peripheral of his vision army crawling through the sand towards Gaara's sleeping body. Kiba locked eyes with Sasuke and brought his finger to his lips, signalling for Sasuke to keep quiet.

The Uchiha watched with uncertainty as Kiba silently crept to Gaara's side and lifted the elastic band on the red heads swim trunks. Kiba brought his closed fist to the entrance of Gaara's lifted swim trunks and opened his fist before hastily pulling his hand away. Almost immediately Gaara shot up and started jumping around, wildly clawing at his trunks. "HEY LOOK! GAARA HAS CRABS!" Kiba screamed at the top of his lungs, gaining the attention of more than a few pissed off looking parents. The commotion was enough to distract Naruto and the girls from their construction work long enough to witness Gaara shaking out almost a dozen crabs from his crotch.

The girls started giggling uncontrollably when the last tiny crab fell to the ground. Even Sasuke couldn't suppress a smile as Gaara's murderous eyes landed on Kiba who had practically doubled over in laughter. His laughter quickly died off, however, when Gaara charged at him in fury. "NARRRUUUTOOO HEEEEELLLLLP!" Kiba flailed his arms wildly as Gaara chased him down the beach, knowing fully well that if he was caught he would suffer a fate worse than death. Chuckling, Naruto shouted after him, "Sorry, buddy! You're on your own!"

"YOU DICK!"

That grabbed the attention of almost every single person on the beach, and after receiving dozens of irate glares from families with young children, the gang decided it was time to pack up and return to their campsite before there was a riot.

By the time Gaara and Kiba finally showed up everyone had already changed and were sitting around the campfire. Gaara looked no happier than the last time they had seen him but seemed satisfied when Kiba winced painfully before he sat down. "Don't ask…" The brunette grumbled miserably when he received curious looks from his friends.

The incident was never mentioned again.

"Imma head to the bathroom really quick. Why don't you guys get out the rackets and birdies. I'll challenge ya to a badminton tournament," Naruto suggested as he walked backwards out of the campsite. Everyone seemed receptive to the idea and started looking for the required equipment. It wasn't until they found the birdies hidden in the back of Kiba's car did Sasuke realize that Sakura must have followed Naruto out of the campsite. He tried not to let it bug him as Kiba bragged about his 'mad skills' in this game. But he couldn't stop himself from impulsively looking over his shoulder, hoping Naruto would come back.

* * *

It was only about a 5 minute walk to the nearest toilet and Naruto had been fully aware for the past 3 minutes that he was being followed. He tried to ignore her, as per usual, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with her practically stepping on his heels. "You're really going to follow me all the way to the porta-potty aren't you?" Naruto asked indifferently, keeping his eyes forward and his walk purposeful. Sakura was caught off guard by the sudden acknowledgment and struggled for a moment to compose herself. "Can we talk?" she asked quietly. "While I'm taking a piss? I don't think so."

"Naruto, come on. Can't we talk about this?" Naruto subconsciously quickened his pace. Sakura was right on his tail. "Broken record, Sakura. I've said my bit."

"That's right. You have. But I haven't. Naruto." Sakura's small hand gripped at Naruto's arm, stopping him dead in his tracks. Sakura came around to stand in front of him and meet his eyes. She still looked scared, but she was fighting through her fear to make a point. "We've been friends for years. Don't you think the least you can do is hear my side of the story?" Naruto scoffed. "The least I can do? I don't owe you anything."

"But _I_ owe _you_ an explanation. You think it's all black and white but it isn't that simple! There's so much more to it."

"Jeez. What is it with you girls," Naruto laughed humourlessly. "Why can't you see that I just want to forget it and move on? It doesn't bother me anymore!"

" _Naruto._ "

" _Fine_. Yes, okay? It bothers me. But so what!? I don't want to talk about it anymore!" Naruto made like he was going to stomp off but Sakura blocked his path. "I was-"

"I know. You were _scared_ ," Naruto cut her off. "Moving too fast, falling too hard. Blah blah blah. You told me that already." Sakura's eyes glistened with unshed tears before she looked down at her feet, a sign of submission. "I know it's not an excuse but you have to believe me. I am so _so_ sorry for hurting you, Naruto."

"They're just words, Sakura."

"Why are you being like this!? Ino said you-"

"I'm sure she did. And you know what? I meant it when I said I would try to get along with you. But if there's even the slightest chance of us ever being friends again you have got to give me my space and not intrude on what was supposed to be a fun weekend with my friends!" Naruto's words had clearly left the pinkette feeling insulted. " _Intrude?_ They're my friends too!"

"No. You lost those connections when you decided to screw me over and sleep with someone else!"

"I'm trying to fix it!" It was then Naruto noticed a few people in their campsites looking out onto the road where he and Sakura were currently yelling at each other. For fear of being kicked out, Naruto took three deep breaths to calm himself before lowering his voice. "You know what? It doesn't even matter anymore. You know why? Because I'm not heartbroken. How could I be? I'm in love with one of the most brilliant, fascinating people I have ever met. And I owe it all to you, Sakura. So thanks but I'm good." Sakura immediately opened her mouth to question the blonde further but Naruto quickly turned on his heels and continued down the dirt road.

He was thankful to hear her footsteps heading in the opposite direction.

* * *

When Naruto made it back to the campsite he couldn't help but notice how chummy Kiba and Hinata seemed to be in the short time it took him to go to the bathroom. Kiba appeared to be coaching Hinata on the best way to hit the birdie with her racket. Even going so far as to stand behind her and put his hands over hers, guiding her through the motions. Naruto couldn't help but smirk when Hinata smiled shyly down at her feet when Kiba complimented her on her swing. Looks like they weren't going to need Naruto's help after all. Now all that was left was to sit back and enjoy the show.

Naruto could feel Sasuke's eyes on him but thankfully the Uchiha was smart enough not to ask how he was doing. If he had, Naruto wasn't sure he would know how to respond.

Naruto took no pleasure is yelling at Sakura. He hated being mean and he hated himself even more for sinking to such a level. Despite everything that happened between them, there was still a big part of Naruto that wished they could just go back to being friends. Without a doubt, Sakura had been his closest female friend. Just like Kiba was his closest male friend. The two had met each other in high school and had been together ever since. Naruto couldn't just make himself forget years and years of a close friendship. He knew the logical thing to do was to just accept the way things are and move on like he kept telling everyone he wanted to do. But the nostalgic side of him couldn't let go. Not yet, anyway.

And Sakura's constant presence definitely wasn't helping.

The rest of the afternoon seemed to fly by and before they knew it it was already dark. Sasuke had been keeping an eye on his boyfriend throughout the night and when Naruto passed up lighting the fire, Sasuke knew his talk with Sakura must have been a major bust. He wished he knew how to make the blonde feel better but it seemed Naruto was content with pretending he was fine. The two decided to turn in around 10:45 pm. They silently changed into their pyjama pants before zipping up their tent and slipping into their individual sleeping bags. Naruto had his back to Sasuke when he let out a sigh and said goodnight. Sasuke gazed at the back of his head for a moment before reaching over and grabbing his shoulder. Sasuke gently urged Naruto onto his back, to which Naruto allowed, and sidled up next to him, resting his head on the blonde's chest. This time it was a content sound that left Naruto's lips as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's warm body.

Naruto didn't know how things were going to play out between him and Sakura, but this... _This_ was solid.

* * *

 **Laura: Thanks for reading guys! If things go as planned (which they almost never do) the next chapter should be the last part of the Camping Extravaganza. But don't worry, the story isn't over yet. ;D As always reviews are greatly appreciated... but here's the catch. If you leave a review you have to tell me what your favourite present was you got from this holiday :) Mine was a Samsung Tablet my mother got for me which was completely unexpected. Once again, I hope you all had a great Christmas and everything in between! Lots of love!**


	4. Camping Extravaganza: Part 4

**Laura: Hey guys. I am so so sorry for the delay. I've been dealing with a family emergency for the last few days and obviously writing has been the last thing on my** **mind. But everyone is okay now and my head is clear so I stayed up till 4 am finishing this :p This is the last part of the camping extravaganza so we should be heading back to normal one shots now. But let's save that for the bottom. Enjoy guys :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss.**

* * *

The next morning, Sasuke woke up to the sound of birds chirping and the quiet murmurs coming from other early risers around the campsite. Sasuke glanced down at his watch and sighed as he read the time. 7:30. Even when the Uchiha wanted to sleep in, he could never break himself out of his routine of waking up early. It was helpful at times when he needed to get ready for classes, but frustrating when he wanted to catch a few extra hours of sleep. Like now.

Naruto was still passed out beside him, now lying flat on his stomach with half of his face buried into the pillows. Sasuke smiled briefly before carefully slipping out from under the blonde's arm and wrestling his way out of the sleeping bag. Sasuke hadn't been uncomfortable last night, but a cheap air mattress paled in comparison to the bed waiting for him at home. Warmth didn't seem to be an issue considering Naruto had been pressed up against him all night. It was definitely a plus, seeing as how chilly it was this morning. Sasuke couldn't even remember the last person he had slept in the same bed with before he met Naruto. It was probably Itachi, which Sasuke knew wasn't healthy at all. Naruto hadn't seemed interested in Sasuke's past relationships, and even if he was, there really wasn't much to tell.

If someone had told Sasuke a couple of months ago that he'd be sharing his own bed with his boyfriend whom he loved dearly, Sasuke would have probably sneered at them and walked away.

Sasuke had always been picky about his belongings and that included his bed. He never thought about what it would be like waking up to someone next to him under the sheets. Sasuke liked to think he had made a lot of progress since they started dating.

He hadn't completely changed though.

Back at the apartment, he and Naruto were still living in separate rooms. It's not that Sasuke didn't want to be with Naruto as much as possible. He just wanted to keep his space his space. They still saw each other everyday and even took turns sleeping in each others beds. Some nights they'd be in Naruto's room and the rest they'd spend in Sasuke's. Thankfully, Naruto seemed to understand Sasuke without him having to say a word and happily agreed to this arrangement. Still, he hoped that one day Sasuke would feel comfortable in sharing a room with him.

Naruto was always ready to take it one step further and sometimes he forgot that not everybody moves at the same pace. Too much too fast would only complicate things between them. And more than anything, Naruto wanted Sasuke to feel completely comfortable in their relationship.

If the Uchiha asked him to wait, then he would wait. Probably a lot longer than he was willing to admit out loud.

Sasuke zipped up his jacket before stepping out as quietly as he could through the tents entrance. He was surprised to see Gaara shuffling around the fire pit collecting kindling to start a fire. "Can't sleep?" Sasuke asked as he approached him from behind. Unfazed, Gaara pulled out a lighter and started a small flame. "Kiba talks in his sleep," he said in monotone. Sasuke smirked before pulling up a chair and warming himself in front of the fire. "You?" Sasuke shrugged. "Morning person." Gaara nodded before pulling up a chair of his own next to Sasuke's.

The two sat in comfortable silence for a good 5 minutes before Gaara decided to break it. "You and Naruto seem pretty close now." He had said this casually, but already Sasuke felt tense. The Uchiha was still new to this whole 'group of misfits' thing. He had hoped Naruto would be the one to tell them. After all, they were his friends first. But now it seemed unavoidable. Gaara was smart. Of course he would notice a shift in their relationship. The only question was, how much had he noticed?

Sasuke cleared his throat and visibly squirmed in his chair when Gaara's eyes landed on him. Sasuke was still trying to think of a response when Gaara spoke again. "That guy needs all the help he can get. Keep an eye on him for me, would ya?" The hint of what Sasuke could only identify as a smile ghosted over the red heads face.

It was at that moment Sasuke realized he didn't have to respond.

The Uchiha instantly relaxed and wordlessly thanked Gaara for not pushing him on the subject. The two shared some sort of silent agreement before returning their attention to the fire and getting warm.

* * *

Around 9:45 everyone else started to wake up and gather around the fire. They ate cereal for breakfast, got dressed and argued for half an hour about their next planned activity. During the lively debate, Naruto got up to get a drink from the water cooler and simultaneously escape from Kiba's persistent pleas to go for a bike ride. Seeming to give up on any kind of discretion, Sakura immediately got up and followed Naruto over to the cooler. Sasuke was able to concentrate long enough to suggest they all just do their own thing for awhile, but he quickly lost interest when he saw Sakura urge Naruto behind one of the cars.

Sasuke could still see Naruto's face and knew right away the blonde wasn't happy. Sakura must have said something unexpected because the next minute Naruto looked surprised. Sakura continued to speak with him for another minute or so before Ino called out for her. With one last bob of her head Sakura patted Naruto's shoulder and walked back to her friend. Naruto stood there staring at his feet before sighing and running his fingers through his hair.

Sasuke was really starting to hate that look of uncertainty on his boyfriends face. The frown didn't suit Naruto. He was much better off smiling.

Eventually everyone wandered off to do as they pleased, as Sasuke had suggested, leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone on the beach. The two walked down the shore line talking about nothing in particular when Sasuke spotted a beached starfish stuck on its back. He bent down and picked it up, admiring the vivid purple it was coloured before letting it slide back into the ocean. When Sasuke turned back around, Naruto had disappeared.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to spot the blonde lying flat on his back, much like the starfish, a couple of feet away from the shoreline. He was using both of his hands for a pillow as he stared up into the sky and watched the clouds float by over head. Sasuke sat down next to him in the sand, cross legged, and joined in the cloud watching. "This weekend didn't really go as planned, huh?" Sasuke mused as he played with the sand between his fingers. He could hear Naruto scoff beside him. "You can say that again." Sasuke sighed. "I'm sorry. I know this was important to you."

"I'm the one who should be sorry. All I wanted was for you to really get to know them and instead I put you in the most awkward position possible. It sucks." Sasuke looked over at Naruto then and mimicked his frowning face. "It's not your fault. You didn't know," Sasuke said dismissively. "Besides, I can handle Sakura. It's you that seems to have the problem." Naruto's lips curled into an annoyed sneer because he knew the Uchiha was right. "She knows," Naruto found himself replying with. When Sasuke titled his head in confusion, Naruto looked up at him to make eye contact. "About us. She knows."

"Oh."

"I didn't tell her. She just sorta figured it out. That's what she wanted to talk to me about." Sasuke tried to pretend like he was taking all the information in stride but on the inside he was starting to feel anxious. What if Sakura thought Sasuke had been trying to break them up by giving her that advice to let Naruto go? That honestly had never been his intention but from the outside even Sasuke knew it sounded shady.

"Was she mad?" Sasuke asked reluctantly. Naruto shook his head, now looking back up at the sky. "You know, a part of me wishes she was. Maybe then I could let go of some of this anger I have bottled up inside. But she wasn't. She just told me that she supported my 'life style' and she hoped the best for us." Sasuke gave him a dubious look to which Naruto returned. It appeared that Naruto shared Sasuke's skeptisism. "Too good to be true, right?" Naruto asked. Sasuke looked down into his lap. "She must really care about you," he said. "Yeah," Naruto sighed. "I guess she does."

Hardly a beat went by before Sasuke felt a big, warm hand press down on his shoulder. Sasuke let himself be pushed into the sand onto his back before turning his head so he could look into Naruto's eyes. Naruto did the same and smiled, finally bringing a sense of right back into the world. "But you're the one I care about," Naruto said adoringly as he balanced on his elbow, hovering over the Uchiha's face. "I'm going to take care of it. I just need your blessing."

"I already told you." Sasuke rubbed his hand against Naruto's forearm before smiling up at him reassuringly. "Do what makes you happy." Naruto glanced down between their bodies before wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Sasuke. "I'm already doing what makes me happy," he said with a cheeky grin. Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes in good nature. "Romantic, Naruto. Really. You've officially swept me off my feet," Sasuke replied sarcastically. Naruto lightly knocked on Sasuke's head with his knuckles, "well, yeah. That's why you're on the ground, silly." Sasuke outright laughed this time and his smiling face was too much for Naruto to resist. The blonde leaned down and kissed Sasuke quickly on the lips before moving back, only to be pulled down again by Sasuke's hand wrapping around the back of his head. Naruto was more than happy to indulge in Sasuke's demand for intimacy.

They kept it slow but earnest. Their lips slid together in a gentle dance, only parting when breathing became a necessity. Naruto doubted a laid-back make out session would lead to hot, passionate love-making on the beach, but he still had the rest of the day to change Sasuke's mind about outdoor sex. Almost as if Sasuke had read his mind, the Uchina pushed Naruto back and smirked at the disappointed look on his boyfriends face. "Nice try, Romeo. You almost had me for a second there." Naruto's eyes lit up in hope. "Really?" he asked brightly. "No. Not at all." Sasuke quickly kissed away Naruto's pout and climbed back onto his feet. Naruto watched as Sasuke extended his hand with a smile. "Come on. Let's head back."

The rest of the day was spent lazing around the campsite. Gaara decided to have a nap in his tent while Kiba started up a game of bocce ball with Hinata. Naruto had given his best friend a knowing smirk to which Kiba responded with a stealthy flip of his middle finger when Hinata wasn't looking. The rest of them huddled around the camp fire and chatted for awhile before deciding to make some lunch. Sasuke didn't know when it had happened, but he now felt completely comfortable around Naruto's— their friends.

He'd have to get used to saying that.

They all seemed to accept Sasuke with open arms, and Sasuke had no problems with them either. He and Kiba had something going on between them. Call it a friendly rivalry. At first, Ino had been a little overwhelming with all her talking and flirting. Now, if Ino did make a suggestive comment, it seemed more playful than anything else, and Sasuke didn't mind listening to her talk. So long as the topic of shoes was avoided. Even Hinata seemed to be fitting in. She and Sasuke had bonded over the weekend, not nessicerally from talking, but just from being there for each other. When they got back home, Sasuke was determined to keep their friendship going. Naruto had been right. He couldn't spend the rest of his life being a shut in with no friends. Sasuke used to think that being alone was a good thing, but Naruto had opened his eyes to a completely new perspective. It wasn't so bad having people to joke with and talk to. Who knows? Maybe one day Sasuke would be relying on these people to cheer him up when he was down.

Maybe not Kiba, but everyone else was definitely a possibility.

* * *

Naruto waited until it got dark and he had the distraction of dinner to make his move. He tapped Sakura on the shoulder and asked if she would follow him to his car. Surprised by the request, Sakura nodded hesitantly and followed behind. Naruto unlocked the doors and climbed into the driver's seat, gesturing for Sakura to join him in the passenger seat. When she did, Naruto took a deep breath and stared out the windshield, his eyes narrowed in thought. "Okay. Here's the deal," he said. Voice all business. "I'm the one who pushed us to go out in the first place. And for that I'm sorry because you obviously weren't ready to make that transition."

"Naruto-" Sakura tried to cut in but Naruto raised his hand and gently cut her off. "Just- let me finish. Sakura, we were friends first. Shouldn't you have been able to tell me it wasn't working? We used to tell each other everything. I get that it was different between us, but I didn't change. I would have listened. I would have understood. I just wish you could have had more faith in me." Naruto was looking at her now. His voice wasn't harsh like before. He was tired of being angry.

He just wanted Sakura to hear him. _Really_ hear him and listen to what he had to say. Otherwise, he'd never be able to let go.

Sakura hung her head and let her gaze wander to her lap. "I know... I should have put more faith in you. I was just so scared of losing what we had. Like you said, we were friends. And we were good at being friends. We never should have-" Sakura abruptly stopped talking and looked up at Naruto, worried that she had hurt his feeling. The corner of Naruto's mouth lifted up into a tight smile. "Dated? Yeah, you're right. Things were fine the way they were. I guess it just seemed like the logical thing to do. But Sakura, just because we were close doesn't mean I can forget what you did. Regardless of whether or not we should have been together, you betrayed me and everything that we stand for. I just can't trust you anymore."

Sakura looked physically pained by his words but she nodded anyway. There was nothing left for her to argue with. Naruto had made up his mind.

"But," the blonde continued carefully when Sakura looked up at him. "Being mad at you is affecting my relationship with Sasuke so… If you promise to never bring it up again, I'll try to move past it." Sakura's eyes lit up almost immediately as a wide grin spread across her face. "Yes! Yes, of course! I'll never talk about it again. I swear!" Despite Sakura's enthusiasm to comply, Naruto still wasn't smiling. "You know we can't go back to how it was, right?" Sakura's excitement deflated a bit, but she kept her sad smile in place. "I know," she said. And Naruto believed she truly understood that.

They couldn't just pretend that nothing happened between them. It would be some serious uncharted territory for the both of them, going from friends to lovers to enemies to— well, whatever they were now. It was strange, but Naruto felt like a weight had already been lifted off his shoulders. He didn't know how things would turn out between the two of them, but even if it didn't work and they ended up going their separate ways, at least he could do so with a clear conscience.

When Naruto returned to the group he immediately sat down beside Sasuke and took his hand. Sasuke questioned him with his eyes but Naruto just smiled and kissed his knuckles.

No one cared. They had all figured it out a long time ago anyway.

After Naruto added a couple logs to the fire everyone grabbed a cup of hot chocolate and played a couple rounds of cards. After winning for the third time in a row, Gaara was nicknamed "The Shark" by an enraged Kiba because of his thirst for blood while playing. The gang decided to turn in when the death threats started again.

Naruto climbed into his sleeping bag and made himself comfortable on his back while Sasuke stood in an awkward bending position at the foot of the mattress. Naruto raised his eyebrow curiously when Sasuke continued to stare at him. "You good?" The Uchiha asked eventually. Naruto smiled and reached out to pull Sasuke down onto the mattress. "Mhmm," Naruto hummed before rolling onto his side so he could face Sasuke. "All good."

"And Sakura?"

"Not really thinking about her right now." Naruto pulled Sasuke closer and grinned mischievously. Sasuke's eyes wandered down to Naruto's lips and in a brief moment of weakness he found himself melting into the blonde's embrace. With an annoyed huff, mostly aimed at himself, Sasuke pushed Naruto back and straddled his waist. "Fine. But just a little bit." Naruto laughed as Sasuke reached down to pull of his night shirt. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know. Now shut up and take your pants off."

* * *

The next morning everyone was packed up and ready to go around noon. Kiba had spent the whole morning helping Hinata collecting her things which had apparently paid off, because before climbing into Sakura's car, Hinata had handed him a piece of paper with her phone number scribbled on it. Kiba's shit eating grin was the last thing Naruto saw of his best friend before Kiba and Gaara drove out of the campsite. Why those two had decided to drive together, Naruto would never understand.

After saying their goodbyes to the girls Naruto and Sasuke headed for their car. Naruto climbed in and started the engine, but Sasuke was stopped by a gentle weight on his shoulder. "Hey, Sasuke." Sasuke turned around and came face to face with Sakura. She was smiling, thankfully, which put Sasuke at ease. "I just wanted to say no hard feelings. And if you'd let me, I'd really like to be your friend." Sasuke glanced back at Naruto in the car and saw that he was watching them.

The Uchiha was finally starting to understand that Sakura wasn't a threat to him. If Naruto could forgive and forget, then Sasuke could too. "I'll see you around," Sasuke decided to say with a polite nod. Sakura was more than willing to accept this as Sasuke's way of telling her things were cool between them. After an overly excited goodbye from the pinkette, Sasuke climbed into Naruto's car and strapped himself in. After waiting 30 seconds for the car to start moving, Sasuke looked over at Naruto and found the blonde had been staring at him. "What?" Naruto lightly shook his head and looked out the windshield with a fond smile on his lips. "Nothing. Let's go home."

* * *

 **Laura: This isn't the end of Chemicals React but I'm not sure when I'll be posting again. So keep your eyes open for updates! Also, I just wanted to thank everyone who decided to stick around and support this sequel. It really means a lot to me. :) Until next time, my friends! MUAH!**


	5. Meet The Parents

**Laura: Huh... Got a little carried away on this chapter. Oh well. Longer is better? (I still haven't figured out how much is too much and how much isn't enough. It's really up to you guys.) I hope you all enjoy it! Sorry for the delay!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotsss.**

* * *

Sasuke felt his stomach do nervous flip flops as he closed the passenger door to Naruto's car behind him and moved to the front of the vehicle, meeting Naruto half way. The blonde clicked the button on his key and locked the door before looking at his boyfriend. "You okay?" Naruto asked, eyebrow arched in curiosity. Sasuke scoffed loudly, the action obviously forced and out of character. "Pshhh. Why wouldn't I be? I've been to lots of meet the parents dinners before. This'll be a piece of cake." Naruto tried to fight back a chuckle as the both of them pretended that Sasuke hadn't just told a blatant lie to protect his pride. "You sure?" the blonde asked again, a smile playing on the corner of his mouth. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm starting to lose the feeling in my fingers." Puzzled, Sasuke looked down between them and sure enough, Sasuke was gripping Naruto's hand so tightly that the blonde's fingers were starting to turn white. "Oh- sorry." Sasuke quickly let go and took a step back. Naruto smiled fondly and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Look, I'm telling you. There's nothing to be nervous about. Yes my mother is completely insane, but it's the good kind."

"There's a good kind of insane?" Sasuke asked skeptically. Naruto shrugged half heartedly. "Sure she can be a little eccentric at times, but she understands. I already gave her the run down about tonight so there shouldn't be any surprises. And my dad will keep her in check if she gets out of hand. Just try to have a good time."

Try to have a good time.

It sounded so easy when he said it like that. Sasuke wished he could share Naruto's jaunty attitude towards the whole thing, but no matter how many times he mentally scolded himself for being silly and juvenile, the Uchiha couldn't shake this feeling of unease. Sasuke couldn't stop thinking about the time he had introduced his brother to Naruto, and how Naruto had made a complete ass of himself because he was so nervous. Although, looking back now, it probably turned out to be in Naruto's favour. If the blonde had strut into that restaurant, shoulders pushed back and head held in confidence, Itachi might have eaten him alive. Sasuke didn't want his brother to get the wrong impression. Sasuke wanted Itachi to see the real Naruto, not some façade of what he thought he should be. In the end, Naruto's honesty paid off. It may not have been the smoothest of introductions but it was real. That's all Sasuke wanted to be. Real. He didn't want to feel like he had to change to keep up with Naruto's… _eccentric_ parents. But at the same time, he feared he might bore them to death because he was different.

Try to have fun.

 _Try to have fun?_

There was too much to worry about to have fun! Naruto told him it was going to be fine. _Great_. Sasuke trusted Naruto. He could try to latch onto that trust and let it be a comfort for the rest of the evening. After all, the only reason he was doing this was for Naruto. The blonde was confidant enough to bring his boyfriend along and introduce him to his family because he believed in them. In _Sasuke_.

But no pressure or anything.

Sasuke was dragged out of his internal meltdown when Naruto started walking them towards the door, his hand still wrapped soothingly around Sasuke's. When Naruto reached out and knocked on the door, for a split second Sasuke had the ridiculous impulse to make a run for it. It wouldn't have been such a bad idea if they weren't two towns over and Sasuke had even the slightest clue how to get back home. Not to mention Naruto's tight hold on him. Looks like he was going to have to suck it up and do this for the one he loved. If Naruto could survive his overly protective brother, then surely Sasuke could handle a couple Uzumakis.

 _Surely…_

Not a minute later the door flew open revealing not Kushina or Minato Uzumaki, but Konohamaru, Naruto's younger cousin. The boy smiled at their guests before quickly glancing between both men, suddenly looking very serious. Eventually his gaze landed on Naruto and the blonde watched in amusement as Konohamaru took a fighting stance in front of him. "On guard!" Konohamaru yelled before swinging a punch in Naruto's direction. The kid wasn't exactly tall and he could only reach so high, which was exactly why he was the master of cheap groin shots. Luckily, Naruto was fast to react and easily grabbed the brunette's sloppy attack. Naruto spun him around into a loose choke hold, seemingly effortlessly while the brunette struggled to release himself. "Keep trying little buddy. One day you might actually land a hit." Konohamaru continued to struggle for a few more seconds before begrudgingly giving up and letting his body fall slack.

Sasuke watched the entire exchange in fond silence. It may not have been the most civil greeting between cousins, but Sasuke could see the real bond between the two of them. Konohamaru was right. They really were like brothers after all.

After the two exchanged a couple of grins, Naruto released Konohamaru and nodded his head in Sasuke's direction. "Say hi," Naruto told him. Konohamaru turned and smiled at Sasuke. "Greetings fellow ninja!" he said while standing like a soldier, saluting up at the Uchiha. Sasuke chuckled and copied the younger boy's actions. Just not as seriously. "Greetings."Konohamaru looked smug as he turned around and headed back into the house, shouting out to his aunt and uncle, "NARUTO AND SASUKE ARE HERE!"

Sasuke took a step into the threshold only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "Fellow ninja?" Naruto questioned, looking both baffled and amused at the same time. Sasuke simply shrugged before walking inside, deciding there was no need to elaborate. He could practically feel Naruto smirking as he quickly followed him through the front door.

Naruto's parents had a nice average looking house. On the first floor, a decent sized living room, big enough for a TV and some furniture, a big kitchen that was also used as a dinning room, and a bathroom in between. Upstairs, a couple of bedrooms and a bathroom. But it wasn't the amount of rooms or quality of the furniture that Sasuke was interested in. It was the decorations. The pictures hanging on the walls and the certificates of past accomplishments sitting on a shelf. The things that made a house really feel like a _home._ Sasuke could feel the warmth, the welcoming, the _love_ emanating from the walls. He could see it on Naruto's face. A lifetime of fond memories rushing back, so powerful that Sasuke himself felt he had experienced them. It was hard to explain. You just knew this was a family home. After his parents passing, 'home' always seemed to be missing something for Sasuke. Of course, it wasn't all bad. As long as Itachi was there Sasuke felt comfortable and protected. But his 'home' had never felt complete again. In a way, Sasuke figured he envied Naruto for what he had- what he still _has_.

It was so easy to let feelings of jealousy take over, but when Naruto grabbed his hand again and giddily pulled him towards the kitchen, practically glowing with excitement, all those feelings just washed away into something better. Something pure.

Appreciation for what he had now.

And it was almost alarming how big a part Naruto played in it all. Sasuke wasn't going to let himself spoil the evening. He had his brother and the love of his life on his side. What more could a guy need.

Upon entering the kitchen, Naruto found his mother pulling a roast out of the oven while his father mashed a pot of potatoes on the counter, with the occasional help from Konohamaru. "Naruto!" Kushina shrieked excitedly when she looked up and noticed her son standing in the threshold. The red-haired woman dropped the roast onto the stove, flung off her oven mitts and rushed over to wrap her son up in an enthusiastic hug. "My baby is home!" Naruto let out an embarrassed chuckle and felt the blush on his cheeks when he noticed Sasuke staring at him with an amused expression. "Jeez Ma. Do we really have to go through this every time? I'm 22 years old. I ain't a baby anymore."

Kushina pulled back and grabbed Naruto's cheeks, squishing his face like she used to when he was a boy. "You could be 150 years old and I'd still call you my baby. Now shut up and introduce me to this handsome young man beside you." And just like that the attention was on Sasuke, immediately replacing his smirk with a panicked deer-caught-in-the-headlights look. Naruto smiled fondly at his boyfriend before introducing him. "Ma, this is Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke, meet my mother, Kushina." Sasuke smiled politely and let out a nervous, "nice to meet you, Mrs Uzumaki" before awkwardly extending his hand for a handshake.

Kushina just smiled brightly as she pulled the Uchiha in for a tight hug. Sasuke was surprised but managed to fight back his unease and carefully hugged her back. Naruto was ready to lecture his mother on personal space, but she pulled away just in time, sensing Sasuke's discomfort. "Well aren't you just the cutest little thing. And no need for formalities, sweetie. Kushina is fine." Sasuke simply nodded, not sure what else to do with himself. It was at this time that Minato decided to jump in and introduce himself. He wiped his hands off on a dishcloth before standing up and walking over to the three of them still standing in the entrance to the kitchen. Naruto and his father exchanged knowing smiles before sharing a brief hug of their own. As Minato turned to face Sasuke, the Uchiha braced himself for another out-of-his-element hug, but to his surprise (and slight relief) Minato gave him his hand instead, greeting the Uchiha with a warm smile.

"Welcome to our home, Sasuke. You can call me Minato. It's nice to meet you." Sasuke appreciated not being put on the spot and shook his hand with a bit more confidence. "You as well. Thank you for the invitation. I'm sorry I couldn't have come sooner. I've been... busy."

It wasn't a lie per say, it just hadn't been the whole truth. Sasuke _had_ been busy. He was always busy, but he and Naruto both knew this hadn't been something high up on Sasuke's to do list. He didn't mean to be rude, and it wasn't as if he didn't want to meet them, he was just scared and shy and so stupidly in love with their son. If Naruto's own parents didn't approve, what did that say about Sasuke?

"Well," Kushina said clapping her hands together to get everyone's attention, "dinner will be on the table in T minus 30 seconds. Why don't you boys take off your shoes and coats by the door then come and get yourselves settled in."

"Sure thing. Just keep an eye on that one or there won't be any potatoes left." The four adults turned to catch a glimpse of Konohamru licking his fingers. Having been outed, Konohamaru stuck his tongue out at Naruto as the blonde led Sasuke back to the front door. "So? Whadda think?" Naruto asked casually once they were out of ear shot from the others, simultaneously reaching for Sasuke's coat to put in a near by closet. Sasuke bent down to unlace his shoes while he replied "as far as first impressions go they're..." Sasuke paused to find the right word, "welcoming," he decided on.

Naruto would be lying if he said he wasn't a little disappointed that Sasuke didn't seem to be having as good a time as he was. Of course, the night had only just begun. There was lots of time to break the ice.

"You'll warm up to them," Naruto encouraged gently as the two of them kicked their shoes off to the side. "Trust me, I felt the same way meeting Itachi. Just takes a little time is all." Sasuke nodded seeming to be a little distracted as Naruto closed the closet door and started his way back to the kitchen. "Wait." Naruto turned back around at Sasuke's request and was immediately greeted with Sasuke's lips on his own. Pleasantly surprised, Naruto rested his hands on Sasuke's hips and just let himself enjoy the contact. When Sasuke pulled back, Naruto cupped his cheek and gently rubbed the skin with the pad of his thumb. "What was that for?" he asked fondly. Sasuke pulled out of his hold with a shrug. "Good luck. I need all the help I can get."

"Well in that case." Naruto dived back in for another quick peck on the lips, instantly bringing Sasuke's nerves down to a tolerable level. He visibly relaxed when the blonde pulled away, shoulders sagging comfortably and a quiet sigh escaping his lips. "Better?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded before putting on his game face. "Let's do this." Naruto couldn't help but grin at Sasuke's 'going to war' attitude. Once again the Uchiha proved to be braver than he gave himself credit for. Naruto was damn proud to call him his boyfriend, and even prouder when Sasuke held his head high and marched on ahead without him.

Tonight was going to be _very_ interesting.

* * *

Back in the kitchen the table was set and everyone was getting ready to sit down in their respected seats. Sasuke hesitated for a moment, unsure of where he was supposed to sit, but thankfully Kushina directed him to sit on the left, closest to Naruto. Minato sat at the head of the table, like many men do, Kushina at the end, and Konohamaru on the right, facing Naruto and Sasuke.

Kushina encouraged them all to dig in and they did just that. For awhile, the Uzumaki's engaged in comfortable small talk, Minato asking how things were going at the apartment or Naruto wondering how the rest of the family was. Sasuke was more than happy to just sit and listen, but he also enjoyed the opportunity to observe and study them. The way Naruto interacted with his parents was so different than Sasuke and his folks. From what he could remember, their relationships had always been more formal. But Naruto talked to his parents like he would talk to anybody, cracking jokes and catching them up with any gossip he could think of. They seemed more like friends than parents. But Naruto had made it very clear that they could crack the whip when it was needed. There seemed to be a healthy balance of both friendship and parenting. If the ending result was Naruto, then maybe Sasuke would apply this technique to his own kids some day. He was sure he and his brother could have benefited from a bit of both. Maybe then they wouldn't have grown up to be such sticks in the mud.

"So Sasuke, it's just you and your brother. Is that right?"

So much for just observing.

Time to be social.

"Yes, that's right." Minato nodded thoughtfully. "Naruto told us about your parents... We're very sorry to hear of their passing." Naruto cleared his throat loudly and asked his mother to pass him the butter, obviously trying to change the subject to something a little less personal. Sasuke didn't mind though and smiled politely at Minato. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"So what are you studying Sasuke? Naruto tells us you're aiming to be a teacher." Sasuke turned his head to now look at Kushina. She seemed genuinely interested in Sasuke's response. And Sasuke was just thankful she asked about something he knew like the back of his hand. "That's right. It's mostly a wide range of different English classes. But I also take philosophy, psychology, and public speaking classes. It's all necessary for getting a PhD."

Kushina looked impressed although Sasuke couldn't understand why. He didn't think what he was doing was anything special. "No wonder you're so busy. Do you have a favourite subject?"

"I wouldn't call it my favourite... but psychology has been pretty interesting."

"Least favourite?" Sasuke turned his head again to answer Minato. He was sure he was going to get whip lash by the end of the night. Or at least a good crook in the neck. "Public speaking." There was no hesitation needed in his answer. "It's a required skill, but I'm afraid it's not one of my strongest qualities." Konohamaru grinned from across the table, sensing an opportunity to mess with his cousin. "Why don't you ask Naruto to help you? He never shuts up anyway." Minato and Kushina chuckled but there was no malice behind it. They were all used to the teasing by now.

Sasuke turned to smile at Naruto but his smile faltered when he realized Naruto wasn't laughing. In fact, now that Sasuke thought about it, the blonde had been considerably quiet since they sat down. Since they started talking about school.

 _Oh._

Sasuke knew school was a sensitive subject for Naruto. The blonde wasn't happy with what he was doing and he had no idea where it was all leading to. Naruto had confided to Sasuke some of his worries over the past couple of weeks, but Sasuke had a feeling he had only scratched the surface of Naruto's true feelings. Now he felt guilty for showing off.

But as always, Naruto bounced back in a matter of seconds. The shift was so subtle, Sasuke didn't think anyone else had even noticed. "At least I can throw a proper punch, _expert ninja_ ," Naruto teased, grin back in place. Konohamaru looked personally offended at having his well-earned title mocked by the older man. Kushina and Minato looked at their son, both equally puzzled. "Expert ninja? What are you talking about?" Minato asked.

" _Nothing_."

Sasuke and Konohamaru both looked at each other in shock having spoken in unison. Naruto snorted and fought back a giggle as his cousin and boyfriend ducked their heads and tried to hide their blushing cheeks.

Some secrets were just better left unsaid.

* * *

The rest of dinner went off without a hitch. By the time dessert rolled around, Sasuke's belly was full and he was easily joining in on the conversation. Sasuke was genuinely having a good time. He had only just met these people and they had already accepted him as one of their own. Even Konohamaru seemed to enjoy his company. The kid wasn't so bad in small doses. Sasuke was glad Naruto was there to take some of the pressure off.

After they were finished, Sasuke offered to help clean up, but Naruto pulled him away claiming he had something to show him. The blonde grabbed Sasuke's hand and led him upstairs, down the hall, and into the first room on the right. It was obviously a bedroom, a decent size with a queen sized bed, a nightstand, a dresser and a TV set up in the corner hooked up to different kinds of game consoles. The walls were a murky green decorated in posters of different athletes and bands. Sasuke assumed it was where Konohamaru stayed when he came to visit, but when he looked over and saw the nostalgic look on Naruto's face it all became clear.

"This is your room," Sasuke stated. Naruto scratched at the back of his head and looked away almost bashfully as he replied "heh, yeah. Thought you might get a kick out of seeing it. I was one cool cat back in the day." Sasuke couldn't explain it, but now that he knew it was Naruto's childhood bedroom, the one he grew up in... somehow he felt special. Like this was some kind of honour.

Sasuke didn't know if he would have the nerve to share his childhood bedroom with Naruto. It was long gone now of course, house sold after Sasuke moved out and Itachi decided he wanted a fresh start. It was humbling how much the blonde trusted him. "It's very..." Sasuke gazed around the room, purposefully keeping Naruto in suspense, "you. I like it." Naruto looked so damn pleased with himself one minute then completely mischievous the next. He sauntered over to Sasuke, a flirty smile on his face as he snaked his arms around his waist and pulled Sasuke close. "You know... It could be kinda fun to fool around in here." Sasuke smirked and wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck deciding to play along for the time being. "Is this one of your fantasies?" he asked playfully. "Maybe. Only one way to find out."

"And I suppose we're just going to ignore the fact that both your parents and little cousin are downstairs and are very capable of hearing everything that goes on in here."

Naruto looked like he had the wind knocked out of his sails and immediately fell into a pout. "Thanks for the reminder," he grumped sarcastically. Sasuke smiled for a moment before taking on a more serious expression. "Are you okay?" he asked, "you didn't say much at dinner." Naruto's eyes immediately fell downcast and Sasuke could practically see him curl in on himself. "I'm fine" is what he said but they both knew it wasn't the truth. "You'll figure it all out. You know that right?" Sasuke didn't elaborate because he didn't have to. Naruto knew what he meant. All he could do was nod and pull Sasuke in for a hug.

Nothing more was said on the subject.

* * *

The evening came to a close faster than expected and soon enough Naruto and Sasuke were at the door saying their goodbyes. "You better come back to see us," Kushina said as she pulled Sasuke in for one last hug, considerably less awkward than the first, "if you want dirt on Naruto, I'm your gal." Sasuke chuckled and nodded before pulling back. "Thanks for the tip."

"Well now you're never coming back," Naruto said pulling out from a hug of his own with his father. "Well then don't you bother coming back either," Kushina said in a sing song voice. Naruto faked hurt by putting a hand to his chest like he had been punched. "Harsh."

"But fair." Naruto rolled his eyes and pulled his grinning mother in for a playful hug. "Be safe driving home. I'll call you on Thursday." Konohamaru had been standing quietly behind his aunt and uncle waiting for them to finish so he could have his turn. Minato bid them farewell, reminding Sasuke once again that he was always welcomed before heading back into the kitchen to help his wife with the clean up. Naruto looked down at his cousin before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Well, I guess I'll see you around, kiddo. And next time you go in my room don't leave your dirty dishes everywhere. Despite what my mother may have told you, it is still _my room_." But Konohamaru wasn't looking at Naruto. He was starring at Sasuke. Rather intently for a 10 year old. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question.

"I saw you," Konohamaru said as if that explained everything.

"Saw what?"

"In the hall. I saw you. You were kissing." Naruto and Sasuke exchanged an uneasy glance before looking back down at the child. Naruto wasn't really sure how to approached the subject, but Konohamaru seemed more than happy to speak for him. "Are you dating Sasuke?" The question was aimed at Naruto this time. He didn't hesitate to answer. He had nothing to be ashamed of.

"Yeah, I am."

"Like Sakura?" Naruto cringed for the both of them. "No. Nothing like Sakura. Better. _Much_ better." Konohamaru's expression was unreadable. For a moment, the two men feared that he wouldn't understand. He hadn't exactly been exposed to this kind of relationship at his young age. In the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter what Konohamaru's opinion was of their relationship. It wouldn't change how they felt about each other. Naruto's only fear was that his cousin would treat him different. Maybe they wouldn't be as close as they were now. Yeah, Naruto poked fun at him, but he loved his cousin all the same. It would suck if their partnership was ruined because of something the kid just couldn't understand yet.

However, true to the nights unpredictability, Konohamaru surprised the both of them with a challenging glare. "I can take both of you. Just wait and see! You won't know what hit you!" Relief flooded through Naruto and he showed it by grinning and ruffling the brunette's hair. "We'll hold you to that, buddy. Now go help clean up." Konohamaru responded with his tongue sticking out again before closing the door on them. Naruto shook his head and chuckled. "Little shit," he chided affectionately as they headed towards the car. "Kid's gonna get his ass kicked one day. Mark my words."

"As long as you're not doing the kicking I don't think it'll be a problem."

The two climbed in the car and buckled themselves in before Naruto put his key in the ignition and started the car. Naruto didn't pull out of the driveway right away. Instead he waited until Sasuke looked at him with those big, curious, ebony eyes. The impulse was too strong to resist and Naruto finally let himself say what he had been thinking all night.

"I love you Sasuke."

Sasuke didn't look shocked or overwhelmed like he sometimes did when Naruto took him by surprise with the confession. This time his face relaxed and his lips curved into a gentle smile. "Me too... And I look forward to coming back. I think your mother and I are going to get along splendidly." Naruto snorted and rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure you will."

* * *

 **Laura: So Happy Valentines Day to all of you lovely people :) My love and appreciation for you all is endless! Now I wanted to ask you guys something that I wasn't too sure about. As you all know, Finding a Balance has been seriously lacking in the smut department and yes, I have started to regret my decision of not writing any! So my question for you is this: do you want me to spice things up with a little bedroom fun? ;D If you're interested, I may even go back and add in Naruto and Sasuke's first time. The only reason I'm hesitating is because I thought it may be a little weird to write smut in the sequel when there isn't any in the original. Eh, I'm probably being dumb. Let me know what you think in a comment anyway. Alright, that's it for this chapter. See you in the next!**

 **Also I tried to write 'Minato' and auto-correct changed it to 'Minnesota'. So that's something that happened. *Snorts***


	6. My Gift To You

**Laura: I'm sorry for the delay everyone. I went away with my family for a trip and I ended up bringing the flue back with me. I've been bed-ridden recovering for a week so I didn't really feel like writing :/ But I'm feeling better now and I'm ready to post again. This chapter does have smut so I hope you enjoy it. :P It's been a while since I've written it for these two... *blushes***

 **Warnings: Sexual Content, Top!Naruto, Bottom!Sasuke**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotsss.**

 **(Continue at your own risk.)**

* * *

Today was a special day. March 13th. Naruto's birthday.

Sasuke had been expecting Naruto to be even more gung-ho than usual, and take full advantage of a day that was supposed to be all about him, but to the Uchiha's surprise, Naruto had hardly mentioned it. Hadn't even referenced the fact that an important date was approaching. Sasuke wondered if Naruto had caught a case of the birthday blues, but he didn't seem sad or depressed about aging. He just treated it like any other day. And it bugged Sasuke more than he cared to admit. This was their first time celebrating a birthday together as a couple and Naruto apparently didn't want any part of it. Sasuke recalled a conversation they had during the week regarding Naruto's birthday gift.

 _"Lets not be one of those couples who drive themselves nutty trying to think of a present to give their partner. It's too much pressure. Don't get me anything. Just be the first thing I see when I wake up. That's all I want."_

That's what he said. It had been more of a one sided conversation than anything, but in a way, Sasuke agreed with him. There was a lot of pressure that came along with buying a gift for your lover. Maybe not giving gifts would work for them, but somehow it just didn't feel right to show up empty handed. After a few minutes of back and forth and trying to get Naruto to change his mind, Sasuke reluctantly reminded himself that it was Naruto's day and it shouldn't matter if it made him feel awkward or uncomfortable. It wasn't about him. It was about Naruto.

So, come Saturday morning, as Naruto requested, Sasuke was the first thing he saw when he woke up. Along with a tray full of home made pancakes, bacon, fresh fruit, and a cup of orange juice. No pulp. Naruto was more than willing to accept the offering and kissed Sasuke gratefully on the lips when the Uchiha brought in a bottle of syrup for the pancakes. It wasn't much, but Naruto's giddy smile made Sasuke feel a little less guilty for not getting him anything.

Well, not anything he could hold in his hands.

A few weeks ago, Sasuke had gotten a cryptic text from Kiba.

 **Meet me at my dorm. Come alone or the spirits of yesterday will haunt you for all eternity.**

Sasuke wasn't sure how the brunette had gotten his number, and he quickly decided to save himself the headache and not bother to ask. God forbid the 'spirits of yesterday' come after him, so Sasuke found Kiba's dorm room and demanded to know why he was the unlucky target of the brunette's buffoonery. Apparently, Kiba had been thinking about Naruto's birthday as well and decided he wanted to throw his best friend a surprise party.

He made a good argument, claiming nothing would make Naruto happier than being around all his friends. It wasn't until Kiba suggested they have the party at the apartment did Sasuke become hesitant to agree. Sasuke knew it was the most logical location for their soiree to take place; he just wasn't thrilled about having his home invaded by a bunch of frat boys. Eventually, Kiba's unrelenting begging and constant claims that Naruto would love such a surprise beat out any anxiety Sasuke was having, and he half-heartedly agreed to the idea.

For the past week, Sasuke had been scheming with Kiba behind Naruto's back with the intention of throwing the blonde a surprise birthday bash later that evening. Getting Naruto out of the house for the most of the morning and afternoon so they could set up was the easiest part of the plan. Naruto had already been planning to drive up to spend a couple of hours with his parents so they could wish him a happy birthday and give him his presents. Sasuke felt a twinge of guilt when Naruto asked him to come and he deliberately turned him down, but Sasuke quickly assured him that they would be spending the whole evening together, and after a chaste kiss, Naruto was on his way.

Sasuke sent out a quick text to Kiba after he watched Naruto's car disappear out of the parking lot.

 **He's gone. Get over here** **dog-breath**.

Kiba had been treating their secret rendezvous like some kind of spy mission, and had started texting Sasuke in code. In what Kiba thought was code.

 **Are you confirming the eagle has left the nest? Over.**

Sasuke had already begun pulling out streamers and balloons when he received the ridiculous text from his so called partner in crime.

 **This isn't a walkie talkie dumbass. Hurry up. We don't have all day.**

Kiba's response came in a few seconds later.

 **Copy that Mr Clean. I'm on my way. Over and out.**

Kiba showed up a little over 10 minutes later with Gaara and Hinata in tow. The two had agreed to help Sasuke and Kiba with the decorations, something that Kiba deemed mandatory for a birthday party. Sasuke thought it was all a little childish, but to each their own. He helped Kiba hang up a banner that read _Happy 23rd Birthday_ in the living room before taking a step back and admiring their handy work. "Ah, Naruto. Our little boy is growing up," Kiba said with a fake dreamy sigh. Gaara smirked and Hinata giggled when Sasuke rolled his eyes dramatically and went back to blowing up balloons. "Seems only yesterday the two of us were chasing skirts and raising hell around the school yard." Sasuke glanced back over in the brunette's direction, curiosity breaking through his stoic expression.

The Uchiha hadn't heard much about Naruto's past, and although he was interested, Sasuke didn't want to feel like he was prying into Naruto's business. On the other hand, Sasuke didn't think it was too invasive to ask about his past friendships. Especially now since Naruto's friends had become his own.

"You met in school?" Sasuke asked Kiba, trying to keep his voice as casual as he could while tying off another balloon. Kiba turned around and smirked widely, obviously enjoying the attention. "No. We actually met on Craigslist. _Blond haired beauty looking for a wild brunette for a night on the town. Beers included_." Sasuke glowered at Kiba's teasing grin causing Hinata to laugh again in the kitchen where she was making the punch. "Alright, simmer down Uchiha. You want the epic tale of how the Naruto-Kiba combo came to be?" Sasuke hated the superior smirk Kiba wore, but he really was interested. Reluctantly, Sasuke nodded his head.

"Alright kiddies. Gather around for story time." Kiba hopped over the back of the couch and landed butt first on the cushions, gesturing with his hands for everyone to come closer. Sasuke figured they could spare a little time for a break and sat down in his chair, staring at Kiba expectantly. Hinata continued to stir the punch, but her full attention was on her sorta-kinda-not really boyfriend as he cleared his throat like he was about to tell a grand tale of knights in shiny armour and ferocious dragon attacks. Gaara was already sitting on the floor weaving brightly coloured streamers together in a braid pattern. He didn't seem very interested, leading Sasuke to believe the red-head had probably heard the story many times before.

"Well, for starters I should probably tell you about Tenten," Kiba said with a boastful grin. "Who's Tenten?" Hinata asked, seeming genuinely curious about Kiba's story. The brunette stared off into the distance with a love-struck, puppy dog look in his eyes. "Tenten was the love of my life." When Kiba noticed Hinata staring at him patiently he fumbled over his words and quickly corrected himself. "I-I mean, the love of my life back then. In middle school..."

 _Middle school, huh?_ Sasuke thought to himself. _They've been friends for a really long time... I should have guessed._ "Anyway," Kiba cleared his throat, "at 13 years old, I thought she was a freakin' goddess. Prettiest girl in the whole school. I knew I had to have her. So, of course, I put the moves on her like any respectable man would."

"And she turned you down flat," Gaara cut in with far too much amusement in his voice. Kiba sent him a lazy glare before clarifying, "She didn't turn me down! She didn't even know I existed. How could she turn me down if I was invisible? Hah! I win."

"Not really."

"What does this have to do with Naruto?" Sasuke quickly diverted the conversation before Kiba and Gaara started digging into each other. Kiba looked over at Sasuke and said "It's all relevant, princess. You see, after weeks and weeks of putting on the charm, Tenten still wouldn't acknowledge me. Finally, after observing her for awhile—"

"Stalking,"

"Cram it Gaara! This is my story! After observing her, I realized she had her sights set on someone else."

"Naruto." Sasuke easily deduced. Kiba made fake guns with his hands and pretended to shoot. "Bingo. My dream girl had fallen for the ever popular Naruto Uzumaki. We'd been going to school together for a couple of years, but I never actually had a conversation with the guy. Naturally, after seeing Tenten make heart eyes at him, I decided someone needed to put him in his place." _Naturally_ Sasuke thought with a smirk. "One day during recess I cornered him on the field with the full intention of kicking his ass. But after I told him about Tenten, he just stared at me like I had lost my marbles. Turns out Naruto had stolen my girl without evening knowing it. He didn't know Tenten existed anymore than she knew I did. Pretty ironic when you think about it." Hinata abandoned the punch bowl in favour of sitting next to Kiba on the couch, shifting her body so she could face the brunette head on. "Was he mad?" she asked innocently, pale eyes full of curiosity. Kiba pursed his lips and shook his head, "Nah. We had a good laugh about it and somehow ended up talking until classes started. And that's all she wrote. As they say, the rest is history."

"That's it? You bonded over a misunderstanding?" Sasuke questioned, obviously not impressed with what had been built up to be an incredible tale of friendship. Kiba looked over at Sasuke with a condescending smirk. "Yeah, and you two love birds had the meeting of the century. ' _Can I help you_?'" Sasuke's eyes narrowed into a tight glare as Kiba mocked him in a voice that apparently he thought resembled Sasuke's. Hinata smiled between the two of them before standing up and dusting off nonexistent fibres from her pants. "I think it's kinda sweet... I mean, that it took so little to get you two together. Sorta makes me think you were destined to be best friends." Kiba watched her shuffle back into the kitchen with an embarrassed chuckle escaping his lips. "I-I don't know about that... Just the luck of the draw I guess..."

Sasuke liked to give Kiba a hard time and visa versa, but there was no denying that Kiba loved Naruto just as much as he did. In a different way, obviously, but still— it all meant the same thing, and Sasuke couldn't help but respect him for that. After all, if he was smart enough to care so deeply about Naruto, how bad could he be? "Awe, he's blushing." Gaara got a face full of pillow after making his comment, and soon after Sasuke decided to change the subject. He didn't think they would get much work done if his living room turned into a battle zone. "What time is Ino bringing the cake?" Sasuke instinctually turned to Gaara for the information. The red-head finished weaving the streamers together as he replied, "About 3. We can shove it in the freezer until Naruto gets back."

"Did she say what's on it?" Gaara only shrugged in response. Ino had been pushy when it came to buying the cake. For whatever reason she really wanted the job, and since everyone else had their own work to do, letting her do it seemed like the only option. Sasuke had been a little apprehensive at first, worrying that Ino would purposely buy something frilly and flamboyant as a joke, but Sasuke quickly realized that he needed to stop being so bad-tempered about everything and just go with the flow. After all, this was the first birthday of Naruto's that Sasuke was a part of. He had missed out on 22 of them, so of course Naruto's friends would know what the blonde would want more than he would. Maybe joke-cakes were a thing. Even though a big part of Sasuke's personality was to be precise and assertive, he tried his best to blend in and just be thankful he was a part of the ride. That is until Kiba merrily informed him that there was a giant dick on Naruto's birthday cake.

Needless to say, Sasuke was gritting his teeth for the rest of the afternoon.

As the hours went by and more and more people starting showing up, people who Sasuke hadn't even seen, let alone met, Sasuke decided he needed to take a moment for himself and quietly slipped away into his bedroom. The one and only task Sasuke would leave Kiba in charge of; handling the crowd. The Uchiha took a minute to run his fingers through his hair and rub his now sweaty palms on the front of his jeans, thanks to all the hand shaking and fist bumping he had been subjected to for the last hour and a half. Most of these people hadn't even introduced themselves to Sasuke. A handshake and/or fist bump with a clipped "Sup" was as far as the greeting ever went. The few who actually bothered to give a name and ask Sasuke for his appeared to be going through the motions, not particularly caring who Sasuke was, but not wanting to be rude and just ignore him either. All in all, it wasn't the best first impression. And to make matters worse, Sasuke had a sneaking suspicion that their attitudes towards him would be very different if Naruto were here, standing by his side. He tried not to take it personally, though; they were just a bunch of fickle college students, barely qualifying as adults. But still. You'd think they would have enough decency to treat their host with a little… well, decency.

 _For Naruto_ Sasuke mentally reminded and encouraged himself to keep his cool, _I'm doing this for Naruto._ With the image of blonde hair and blue eyes plastered firmly in his mind, Sasuke reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone, figuring he should check in with Naruto through a text. And, if a few exchanged words between them just happened to calm Sasuke's nerves, well, that was just a happy coincidence.

 **How's it going birthday boy?**

Sasuke sent out the quick text before crossing his room over to his dresser. He figured Naruto would be a little preoccupied with all of his parents affections, and he had been looking for an opportunity to change his clothes into something a little less worn. In fact, Sasuke wouldn't have minded a nice hot shower to make him feel fresh and relaxed. But even if the guest of honour hadn't arrived yet, there was still a party going on in his living room, and just because the guests were inconsiderate hillbillies didn't mean Sasuke was going to follow in their footsteps. A pair of clean clothes would have to do. Black pants and a dark blue buttoned-down shirt. Classy, sophisticated, and not at all trying to catch the eye of a certain blond. Sasuke was just finishing rolling his sleeves up to a comfortable position when his phone chimed in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and eagerly read the text from Naruto.

 **Hey. I was just thinking about you. Things are going great. Dad burnt the burgers and made the smoke detector go off. Mom got all emotional about my age and told me to get back inside her womb. Konohamaru punched me 23 times in the shoulder for birthday bumps. You know, typical birthday with the Uzumaki family.**

Sasuke let out a small laugh full of disbelief and a genuine fondness for the family he was, quite happily, getting to know. He quickly typed back a response.

 **Wow. Wish I hadn't missed that.**

 **Yeah. Me too. How's everything on your end?**

Sasuke stood up a little taller and rolled his shoulders a few times before carefully conducting his next response.

 **Everything's fine. :)**

Seriously…? That's the best he could come up with? And since when did Sasuke text with emoticons? Clearly, keeping up this charade had taken its toll on him. Either that or he was just a shitty liar. Regardless of his vague message, Naruto texted back, the same as always.

 **Good! I should be on the road in about half an hour. Then you're all mine. And I mean ALL mine. ;)**

Now you see what he started? Pretty soon Naruto will start to think it would be expectable to send him the poop emoji. And that— that's a line Sasuke didn't want to cross. Still, the meaning behind it had the Uchiha's cheeks flushing and his mind racing with less than Christian thoughts. He typed out an awkwardly worded flirty response before quickly back spacing and going with something a little more subtle.

 **Can't wait.**

But he could wait. Because Naruto gave him an idea and now he had plans. And those plans were going to involve time, and plenty of it, for Sasuke to get ready. Naruto said he didn't want any presents, assuming he meant physical objects; he'd have no problem with the surprise party. But it was Kiba's idea. Sure, Sasuke helped and it was his apartment, but at its core, this was Kiba's gift to Naruto. What had Sasuke done? Made pancakes and poured him orange juice? It wasn't enough. Sasuke couldn't understand why he hadn't thought of this sooner. Why it had to take a suggestive text from his boyfriend to get his gears turning. Kiba could have his party. Because there was something that only Sasuke could give to Naruto, and oddly enough, in the end, it could be benefiting to the both of them. Whether or not Sasuke would actually have the nerve to go through with it was another story entirely. But he'd cross that bridge.

* * *

When Naruto pulled into the parking lot of his building, he didn't expect to see a familiar red Sedan parked a few spaces over, the driver's seat empty, doors unlocked. He was even more surprised when Sakura stood up from the steps she had been sitting on leading to Naruto's apartment, and waved at him in greeting. Instead of debating whether or not to get out of the car, Naruto grabbed his few presents from the passenger seat and popped open the door before sliding out into the nippy late-afternoon air.

See that? Progress.

He walked the short distance across the parking lot before coming to a stop in front of the pinkette. "Hey," he said, showing her a smile. Sakura's expression mirrored his own, "Hey Naruto. I'm sorry for showing up like this. I, um, came by a little while ago and noticed your car was gone. I hope you don't mind me waiting here." Naruto shrugged. "I don't mind. You could have gone up, though." Sakura almost looked startled by Naruto's invitation. "O-oh. No, that's okay. It won't take long. I just wanted to give you this." Sakura reached into her long, red trench coat and pulled out a square, velvet box from her pocket. She gingerly held it out and offered it to the blonde with a shy smile. "Happy Birthday," she told him as Naruto took the box into his hand and eyed it wearily. The top of the lid snapped as it opened to reveal a silver watch resting on a blue velvet bed. Inside of the lid, sewn in gold cursive was a simple _Happy Birthday_ and a tiny gold heart underneath the writing. Naruto stared down at the watch with mixed emotions. A part of him was touched that Sakura had remembered his birthday and actually went through the trouble of buying him something, especially after all they crap they went through this year. But the other part of him felt guilty that she had spent money on what was probably a 60 dollar watch, just for him. "Sakura, you didn't have to do this."

Sakura smiled as Naruto looked back up at her, a look of uncertainty plain on his face. "I know… But I wanted to. I get that things are still weird between us, but friends celebrate their birthdays, right? I just figured this was a good step in the right direction, you know?" Naruto let himself relax a little and Sakura immediately lit up when she noticed his shoulders become a little less tense and his posture a bit more slack. "Besides, it's your birthday! How could I not get you something? This day should be celebrated! I couldn't imagine what life would have been like without you. I'll always celebrate your birthday, Naruto. Even if this doesn't work out… I'll celebrate it." This time Naruto couldn't help but full on smile at the young woman. He had to give her props. She really knew how to tug at the heart strings.

"Thank you," Naruto said sincerely, eyes earnest and full of warmth. "You're welcome." Sakura gently patted his arm, showed him another smile, and quietly slipped past him heading back to her car. "Hang on a sec." Sakura turned back around, her eyes questioning Naruto's call. "Aren't you coming to my surprise party?" The kind smile on Naruto's face was quickly replaced by a cheeky grin as Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief. "You know?!" Sakura squeaked. Naruto smirked and shoved his free hand into his jacket pocket. "Course I do. The only person who talked to me today was Sasuke, and even he was being shady as hell." Sakura shook her head, a breathy laugh escaping her lips. "No one can pull the wool over your eyes, huh?"

"Damn straight. So? You coming?" The pinkette shifted on her feet, awkwardly fiddling with the ties on her jacket. "I wasn't invited…" she mumbled to her feet. Naruto wasn't surprised. He figured Kiba must have had something to do with that. "Well, I'm inviting you. Come on, I don't want to be late to my own party." Naruto left no room for debate and without waiting for a response he turned around and started walking up the stairs to his apartment, the faint sound of footsteps following behind him bringing a victorious spark into his eyes.

Naruto reached for the door knob, knowing it would be open, and pushed the door open feeling the excitement and anticipation building in his gut. Inside, a sea of Naruto's friends greeted him with a rowdy "SURPRISE!" followed by poppers going off and those annoying birthday kazoos blasting in his ear. There, off to the side of the door leaning against the wall, stood Sasuke looking damn _fine_ giving him a gorgeous smile and mouthing a silent "Surprise" of his own. Naruto grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. Maybe he had started off the day with a bit of indifference towards his birthday, but now, seeing a room full of friendly faces and Sasuke just so damn happy to see him, it completely changed his attitude. Naruto sauntered into the living room feeling like a million bucks.

And the feeling stuck for the rest of the night.

They laughed, they ate, they drank (endlessly) and by the time Ino brought out the cake, Sasuke had forgotten what was supposedly on it. When the brightly coloured cake revealed to only have a crude drawing done in icing of Naruto's face and 'Happy Birthday' printed in orange lettering, Sasuke stared over at Kiba with a questioning eyebrow raised. The brunette smirked widely before leaning in to whisper in his ear. "I told you there was a dick on it." Sasuke blamed the few drinks he had for the snort that erupted from his nose.

The party started a little earlier than anyone had expected, and by the time people started clearing out it was only 9pm. Still, that left them with at least 5 hours of partying. Sasuke didn't know how Naruto had managed to keep up with everyone. They passed him around the room like a football, each wanting an opportunity to congratulate him and give him their presents. Sasuke mingled as best he could, figuring it would be a little pathetic if he stuck to Naruto like glue the whole night. Alcohol helped. He had a few decent conversations with Shikamaru, Gaara, and a couple other people who weren't falling over, cracked a joke or two, and even joined Hinata on the makeshift dance floor they had created by pushing the coffee table up against the wall in the living room. Sasuke didn't really dance; he just swayed to the music and spun Hinata around a few times for fun. When all was said and done, the guests started herding out the front door, finally leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone in the apartment. In the back of his mind Sasuke registered, bitterly, that they were going to have to clean up the mess everyone had left behind. But when Naruto glided over and wrapped his arms firmly around Sasuke's body, burying his face into the crook of his neck, nuzzling him, Sasuke decided the clean up would just have to wait. He had more important things on his mind.

"Thank you..." Naruto mumbled, his warm breath ghosting over Sasuke's neck causing goose bumps to appear on the sensitive skin. "Thank you for this. For being a part of my life. Love it. Love you..." Sasuke let out a quiet laugh before carding his fingers through blond hair, smiling when Naruto let out a content sigh against him. "I'm glad you liked it. Lying to you was harder than I thought it would be." Sasuke couldn't see it, but Naruto's lips curled into a fond smile against his shoulder. He wasn't going to tell Sasuke he had figured it out on his own. It was the thought and effort he put into it that mattered. "You did good," Naruto said instead, knowing it would mean something to the both of them.

Sasuke hesitated before uttering his next words. "It's not over yet... I have something I want to give you." Naruto hummed thoughtfully as Sasuke dislodged himself from Naruto's hold and pulled back to look at him properly. "Thought I said no presents." Naruto slurred a bit, obviously more intoxicated than Sasuke was. The Uchiha just smiled and grabbed Naruto's hand before wordlessly leading him down the hall and into Naruto's bedroom, room chosen carefully. Naruto playfully spun them around in a circle before Sasuke took control and guided Naruto in front of him, gently walking him backwards until the back of his legs hit the bed frame. Naruto willingly sat down on the bed when Sasuke grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down.

Sasuke could clearly see Naruto trying to figure out what was happening, the alcohol intake seriously impairing his ability to problem solve. But Sasuke used Naruto's ignorance to his benefit as he reached down and deliberately started unbuttoning his shirt, never breaking eye contact. Realization dawned on Naruto's face as he watched the garment flutter soundlessly onto the floor. Sasuke wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck, still standing, now shirtless in front of him. "Sasuke..." Naruto breathed as he wrapped his own arms around the Uchiha's waist, tucking his hands into Sasuke's back pockets, pulling him closer. Sasuke could feel his nerves skyrocketing, but it was too late to back down now. Naruto leaned in and brushed his lips against Sasuke's abdomen, trailing butterfly kisses across his skin before lazily dragging his tongue over the same path. A pleasant tingle crawled down the Uchiha's spin, and for a moment he lost himself to the warm, wet feeling of Naruto's tongue teasing his skin, but he quickly caught himself and reminded himself that this wasn't about his pleasure.

Sasuke once again pushed Naruto back by the shoulders until he was looking up at him again. "Lay down." Sasuke told him with a slight nod of his head in the direction he wanted him to go. Naruto did as instructed and scooted into the centre of the bed on his back. Sasuke crawled after him and carefully straddled his waist, knees on each side of his hips, ass sitting just above Naruto's crotch. In this position Sasuke felt a little self-conscious, but the hard heat pushing into him from behind was enough encouragement to lean down and seal their lips together in a kiss.

Sasuke licked his way into Naruto's mouth, sliding their tongues together in a sensual dance, both soothing and arousing at the same time. Naruto was completely pliant beneath him, hands gripping loosely at Sasuke's hips, a quiet hum of approval vibrating in his throat, and just an overall aura of relaxation. Like he was completely content with letting Sasuke take care of him. Sasuke appreciated Naruto's unyielding trust greatly, and showed his gratitude by rolling his hips back against Naruto's bulge. He set into a gentle rock as the kiss became more hands and less about technique. With a tremendous amount of self-discipline, Sasuke forced his lips away from Naruto's and started trailing light kisses across his jaw, then down to his neck and back up to nibble on his earlobe. Naruto let out a quiet moan of approval, encouraging Sasuke to try something a little bolder. "You should take your shirt off. It'll make you more comfortable."

Naruto's glassy eyes searched Sasuke's face for a moment before nodding and shuffling up against the head board into a sitting position. Sasuke waited until Naruto's shirt was out of the way before continuing his path of kissing down his neck, across his chest, and all the way down to his hip bones. Naruto let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding when Sasuke's fingers started fiddling with the belt buckle on his jeans. Naruto had been expecting mind blowing birthday sex, but he hadn't expected _this_. Sasuke liked to pretend he was fearless, especially in bed, but Naruto was always the one in control. Sasuke would usually submit, quite willingly to Naruto's dominance. It was a nice change of pace having the tables turned, not overwhelming or overpowering. It didn't feel like Sasuke was trying to 'win' or 'beat' him. He was cherishing him— making him feel loved. Naruto couldn't remember the last time he felt so close to someone; so utterly _connected_ to another human being.

When Sasuke finally managed to unbuckle his belt and pull down his pants, Naruto's head filled with the possibility of what could come next. His hunch was confirmed when Sasuke pulled down the final piece of clothing, freeing his erection from its cotton prison. Sasuke stared at Naruto's manhood and almost in a trance reached out his hand and gingerly gripped the base of his cock. Naruto readjusted himself on the bed as Sasuke began a gentle tug and pull, his hot breath unknowingly teasing the sensitive skin of Naruto's dick. Sasuke could feel the queasy nervous feeling in his stomach return with a vengeance as Naruto stared down at him, blue eyes wide with lust and curiosity, watching his every move like a hawk.

Sasuke didn't allow himself anymore time to panic and just went for it. He leaned forward and took the head of Naruto's cock into his mouth, pulling a low grown out of the man beneath him. The bitter taste of pre come, the hot weight on his tongue, the smell of just pure _Naruto_ , it was all surprisingly arousing, and Sasuke felt his own cock twitch with eager anticipation. He started off slow, getting used to the foreign object in his mouth; giving a blowjob wasn't something he was particularly familiar with. Naruto had done his fair share of mouth-to-dick action on him, but Sasuke held back, ever the more reserved of the two, too proud to get down on his knees. Naruto never pushed the matter, and Sasuke wasn't indefinitely opposed to the idea, he just didn't want to disappoint Naruto and suffer the humiliation at having failed what appeared to be a pretty basic sex act. But today was Naruto's birthday, and Sasuke wanted to give him everything he could. He wanted his actions to recuperate the love and happiness Naruto had brought into his life. He wanted to thank him.

And this— this was a decent start.

Sasuke paid a great deal of attention to Naruto's reactions, running his tongue along the throbbing vein on the underside of his cock when Naruto groaned, taking him further into his mouth and bobbing his head when Naruto let out a throaty moan. Sasuke felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes when Naruto's member brushed against his gag reflex. He pulled back not wanting to push his luck and started sucking on the head, flicking his tongue across the slit, eliciting another infectious moan from his boyfriend. Naruto's hands twitched with the need to grab something, but he obediently kept his hands to himself, clenching and unclenching his fists in the bed sheets. Sasuke noticed this and decided to reward Naruto's restraint by taking him down deeper in his throat, once again invading his comfort zone. Sasuke inevitably choked and felt an angry blush cover his cheeks as he pulled away, trying to regain his composure. Naruto watched his boyfriend struggle with lidded eyes before reaching out to him and gently coaxing, "Come here." Mortified, Sasuke moved back up Naruto's torso into the blonde's open arms, nuzzling into the embrace and hiding his embarrassment by burying his face into Naruto's chest.

"You never cease to amaze me," Naruto said airily, catching Sasuke off guard. "You're always thinking of others, aren't you? Always so selfless." Sasuke curled into him further, lightly rubbing his inflamed cheeks against Naruto's collar bone. "I wanted to give you something special... Something you'd remember. It... may be crude, but I wanted to do this for you. Give you more..." Sasuke's confession made Naruto feel really guilty, although he was sure that hadn't been the Uchiha's intention. It made Naruto feel like he hadn't done enough to show Sasuke just how much he was loved. If Sasuke felt like he had to do more, that he wasn't enough just _being_ , wasn't that a fault of Naruto's? He never wanted Sasuke to feel insignificant in his company. He wouldn't allow it. "All I want is you Sasuke. Just you. That's the best gift you could ever give me." Sasuke didn't know what to do with that information, but it was almost alarming how inexplicably happy it made him and how fast his heart started beating in his chest.

 _He's certainly honest when he's drunk, I'll give him that._

Sasuke discovered a new found courage within him at hearing Naruto's confession and pulled back to look the blonde in the eye. "I want to try again," he said, determination clear in his face. Sasuke started to move again but Naruto stopped him with a hand to his forearm. "Hold on. Take your pants off first." Sasuke didn't understand what his removal of clothing had to do with giving a blowjob, but he complied and quickly shimmied out of the rest of his clothes. Naruto watched with a doting smile before pulling Sasuke back onto the bed. "Try turning around. It'll be easier," Naruto told him. Sasuke hesitated to do so, anxiety creeping back in to seed doubt into his mind. Naruto's face broke into a teasing grin as he pleaded, "For me? For the birthday boy?" Sasuke knew he was being manipulated, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to care. Carefully calculating where every part of his body went, Sasuke turned around in a 69 position, face buried in Naruto's crotch, legs spread apart— baring everything to Naruto's hungry gaze.

Sasuke felt so exposed and vulnerable in this position. It was terrifying, yet somehow thrilling at the same time. Sasuke fought back his insecurities and focused on the task at hand, closing his mouth around Naruto's dick once again, starting a slow bob up and down. It took him a few seconds to readjust to the new angle, but once he found his rhythm Sasuke tried taking Naruto's cock deeper into his throat again. Inch by inch, Naruto slid deeper into his mouth. With the slight curve of Naruto's dick no longer working against him, Sasuke could cheat his gag reflex and keep pushing until he felt pressure at the back of his throat. Naruto cursed lowly behind him, and then seconds later, Sasuke felt some kind of movement happening from Naruto's upper body. He didn't really pay attention to what he was doing until he heard the distinct sound of a cap popping open.

Now Sasuke understood why Naruto had chosen this position.

Trying to ignore the way his dick throbbed with want, Sasuke hallowed out his cheeks and started to suck harder. Naruto wondered if the Uchiha was trying to distract him, and he had to admit— Sasuke was doing a pretty good damn job of it, but Naruto was on a mission of his own, and he coated his fingers in lube before tossing the bottle back onto the bed beside them. Sasuke shuddered when the first digit teased his tense hole and pushed into him, his tight ring of muscles clenching wonderfully around Naruto's finger. Naruto started a gentle thrust as Sasuke flattened his tongue and dragged it across the underside of Naruto's cock, letting out a muffled whine when a second finger joined the first, scissoring and stretching him open. Naruto felt his abdominal muscles clench with the need to release as Sasuke moaned around him, the sound sending pleasant vibrations to his very core. After adding a third finger, and he was sure Sasuke had been properly prepared, Naruto pulled out the digits with a wet, slick sound and gripped the back of Sasuke's thighs in urgency. "Can't wait anymore. Need you. Need to be inside you."

He didn't have to tell Sasuke twice.

Without a second thought, Sasuke abandoned his mouth ministrations and turned around yet again to face his boyfriend. Naruto got up into a half sitting position before Sasuke stopped him with a hand to his chest. "Let me," he said, although at this point he wasn't sure if it was to please Naruto or please his own selfish need. In the end it didn't really matter because Naruto happily laid back down and let Sasuke position himself over his aching member. The Uchiha lined himself up before slowly lowering his hips, feeling the intense pressure from bellow as Naruto's cock slid into him with ease. Naruto let out a sigh of relief when Sasuke's body stilled, fully sheathed inside him, hips flush against each other. Sasuke closed his eyes as his mouth fell open into a silent moan. He felt so completely _full_. Naruto was so deep inside him that Sasuke could swear he became disoriented for at least 30 seconds; until his mind could finally catch up with his dick.

Naruto asked if he was okay, and after a jerky nod, Sasuke pulled himself up before easily sliding back down Naruto's length. He put his hands onto Naruto's thighs to use for leverage as he lifted himself up and down, readjusting his hips ever so often searching for that sweet spot that drove him crazy. Naruto was panting beneath him, eyes glued to where their bodies connected again and again in a sinful slap of flesh on flesh. "Holy shit. You look so good babe. So fucking hot," Naruto breathed in awe. Even though Naruto could see literally _everything_ which should have made Sasuke die from embarrassment, his entire focus was on bringing Naruto over the edge. Despite not wanting to take the attention off of Naruto, Sasuke felt the knot in his own stomach tighten as Naruto's nails dug into his thighs creating half moon imprints on his blushing skin.

"Shit, Sasuke. I… I can't…" Naruto suddenly sat up and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's body, pulling him impossibly closer as his hips thrusted up frantically chasing his orgasm. Sasuke wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck and let out a surprised gasp as the new angle rammed Naruto's dick into his prostate. After a few more deep thrusts, Naruto let out a muffled groan into Sasuke's shoulder and came hard, every muscle clenching then shuddering as he spilled his seed into Sasuke's ass. Sasuke kissed his temple and held him through it until Naruto stopped shaking and went slack in his arms. Naruto turned his head and found Sasuke's lips, initiating a lazy kiss before pulling back and looking up at him with a guilty expression. "Sorry… You didn't get to finish." Even as he said this, Naruto was already reaching out his hand, fisting Sasuke's dick in quick tugs, stopping the Uchiha's dismissive protest mid-sentence.

"A-ah… N-Naruto…" Sasuke let his head lull back in pleasure presenting Naruto with access to kiss and nibble at his throat. When Sasuke came it was a peaceful sensation. Eyes shut tight and back arched in ecstasy, Sasuke let out a desperate whimper into the quiet room, clinging to Naruto with everything he had as his body shuddered with his release. Naruto looked lovingly up at Sasuke's face as he worked him through his orgasm, wondering just how many times it was possible to fall in love with the same person over and over again. He pulled his hand away, now coated in a sticky white substance, when Sasuke became too sensitive and shied away from his touch. Naruto let out a breathy laugh as Sasuke effortlessly fell back into his embrace, arms and legs wrapped tightly around his neck and lower back. "That was amazing," Naruto chuckled completely sated. Sasuke nodded in agreement before leaning in close to whisper in Naruto's ear, a smile gracing his lips. "Happy Birthday, Naruto... And thank you." Naruto's eyebrows knitted together in soft confusion. "For what?" he whispered. Sasuke held on just a little bit tighter. "For finding me."

* * *

 **Now clearly I went a little rogue with the length of this chappy. But if you guys like longer chapters let me know in a review! And if you're interested in more sexy time... well, that would be worth mentioning too haha. Don't be shy! I'm here to please! :D Thanks for reading guys. See you in the next one.**


	7. Goodbye, Old Friend

**Laura: Sorry guys, but it can't all be fun and games for our favourite couple. Angst storm, straight ahead!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotsss**

* * *

It was a Thursday night, around dinner time when they received the phone call.

Naruto and Sasuke had been in the kitchen preparing their meal. Well, Sasuke had cooked the noodles and made the tomato sauce. Naruto's only job was to stir the sauce in the pan so it wouldn't burn. Sasuke could never quite let go of the whole kitchen fiasco Naruto had at the beginning of the year, and he still wouldn't allow the blonde near the stove without supervision. That is, of course, if he could prevent it. So, in hopes of avoiding another trip to the ER, Naruto dutifully followed Sasuke's specific instructions to keep his hands away from all boiling water. He didn't mind, really. Naruto liked it when Sasuke cooked for him. But he liked it even more when Sasuke's eyes would bug out of his head in a panic when Naruto would purposely stray from his assigned corner in the kitchen and start wandering. Sasuke was just too cute not to torture.

Naruto was in the middle of sampling one of the cooked noodles Sasuke had offered to him on a wooden spoon when his cell phone started to ring on the counter. He slurped down the noodle and threw an approving thumbs up in Sasuke's direction before reaching over and taking the call. Sasuke could hear the frantic voice of Kushina coming through the speakers on the other end of the line and immediately stopped what he was doing and turned to his boyfriend, a mixture of concern and confusion on his face. Becoming more and more anxious by the second, Sasuke watched as all the colour drained from Naruto's face while he obviously tried to understand what was happening and why his mother was in such a state. Sasuke couldn't hear what she was saying so he focused all of his attention on Naruto's reaction. "I'm on my way," is what Sasuke heard him say before he hung up the phone and shoved it into his pocket. "What's wrong?" Sasuke asked, immediately interpreting this as some kind of emergency. Naruto looked down at his feet as if searching for an answer there before spinning on his heels and racing down the hall into his bedroom. Sasuke was right there behind him, their spaghetti dinner long forgotten.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called out to him as he followed Naruto down the hall. Sasuke's anxiety only spiked when he found Naruto rushing around in his room throwing shirts and pants into a suitcase thrown half-hazardously on the bed. "Naruto, what's going on?" The blonde was visibly shaken, tripping over his own feet when making a dash over to his dresser to grab a pair of night pants and extra socks. Sasuke didn't like seeing Naruto like this. His movements were panicked and erratic. Sasuke wasn't even sure the blonde had heard him calling out to him. He was so lost in his own head that when Sasuke finally reached out to him and caught his arm, Naruto looked shocked, like he had been pulled out of a trance. "Naruto." Sasuke said his name again, sterner this time, demanding an answer.

Naruto blinked rapidly before shaking his head and pulling out of the Uchiha's hold. "It's my Grandma. She-she's really sick." Naruto could barely get the words out before he started moving around the room again, looking for anything and everything available to throw into his bag. "My mom— she's freaking out, Sasuke. She thinks this it. She thinks she's…" Naruto stopped abruptly as if the words had been physically caught in his throat before making a hasty exit out of the room and into the hall, heading straight for the bathroom. Sasuke stood in silence as he listened to Naruto crash around in the bathroom grabbing all the necessary toiletries for an extended trip. Naruto had always spoke fondly of his grandmother in front of Sasuke. According to Naruto, growing up, he and his grandmother were thick as thieves. They were both very similar in personality, and apparently shared the same taste in music and food and many other things. She would be the one held responsible for Naruto's ramen addiction. Although Sasuke never had the pleasure of meeting her in person, seeing as she lived in an old folk's home almost three hours away, he could tell by the way Naruto talked about her that she truly was a remarkable woman. It was no wonder Naruto had taken to her so. He referred to her as not only a family member, but a friend. A best friend. That was a concept Sasuke understood all too well. Now that he was an adult, Sasuke thought of Itachi as a friend just as much as he did a brother or caretaker. And that's why Sasuke couldn't even begin to imagine how Naruto was feeling right now. If there was any comparison at all, Naruto must be absolutely beside himself.

Before Sasuke could even begin to think of something the least bit comforting to say, Naruto came dashing back into the room, talking to himself or maybe to Sasuke as he tossed his travel sized toiletries bag into the suitcase. "I-I mean I haven't even seen her in like a month. But she didn't even call! She was supposed to call. She was supposed to check in with me—us. But she's stubborn. God, she's stubborn. She kept telling us 'I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me. Just take care of yourself' but how the hell are we supposed to do that when she's off doing god knows what— probably working herself into the fucking ground because she doesn't know how to stop-"

"…Naruto."

"Did you know I once found her climbing up a latter to clean out the gutters? She's 82 years old, Sasuke! It's like she's trying to drive us all crazy! She doesn't get it! She's doesn't know how much we— how much I— she-she doesn't…" Naruto's hands stuttered and his entire body quaked as he inhaled shakily, barely able to hold back the dry sob that was threatening to escape his trembling lips. It was then that Sasuke made his move. He quickly cleared the room and pulled the shaking man into his arms, cradling Naruto's head on his shoulder and gently petting his hair as he tried to sooth him. "Shh… It's okay. Everything's going to be okay…"

"No," Naruto gasped, hating the way he clung to Sasuke like he was his only life line, "It's not. I-I'm not ready for this, Sasuke… I thought there was time. I-I can't handle this. Not now. Not yet…" Sasuke didn't know what else he could do other than hold him close and whisper reassuring words in Naruto's ear. Sasuke had never seen Naruto cry before, and he now realized, too late, obviously, that it was a luxury he shouldn't have taken for granted.

After his parent's death, Sasuke had wanted to deal with his grief on his own. He didn't want people flocking around him with empty promises of comfort and telling him it'll get better with time. He thought he could fight through the pain on his own. It took a long time for Sasuke to realise it was okay to ask for help. That something as simple and insignificant as a hug or a friendly smile could lighten the burden on your shoulders. More and more these days, Sasuke found himself seeking out Naruto's company and sympathy when something was troubling him. On particularly bad days, Sasuke would just talk with Naruto in the blonde's bedroom or even just sit with him on the couch and watch TV. Just having Naruto's presence in the same room could ease the tension in Sasuke's body. Naruto on the other hand, always kept his negative feelings bottled up tight and to himself. And when they threatened to spill out, Naruto would pretend everything was fine, faking a grin that would fool even the greatest behavioural scientists into believing that everything was, in fact, fine. For a long time it irritated Sasuke, to the point where he would corner the blonde and demand to know what was troubling him. But losing his temper only proved to scare Naruto away, making him bury those feelings deep down and retreat back into his happy-go-lucky state with no intention of letting it slip.

Sasuke understood that this was Naruto's way of coping with unpleasant things, but speaking from his own experience, Sasuke knew it wouldn't protect him forever. It was understandable that Sasuke would feel a little helpless in this kind of situation. He had never had anyone lean on him (quite literally, at the moment) for emotional support. Usually, he was the one being taken care of either by his parents or Itachi. Now that he was a grown up, Sasuke knew this was a life skill he was going to have to learn. He just didn't think it would start with something so devastating.

Naruto had done a good job at calming himself down, to the point where he stopped shaking and only let out a few stray sniffles every now and then over the Uchiha's shoulder. Eventually, the blond leaned back and forced himself to look at Sasuke. Naruto's eyes were damp with more unshed tears and his face was twisted into an expression of anguish that Sasuke decided right then and there, he never wanted to see again. "I…" Naruto tried to speak but his voice was terribly horse. Sasuke waited patiently as he cleared his throat and quietly tried again. "I have to go…" And just like that Naruto was on the move again. He quickly finished zipping up his suitcase as Sasuke nodded and quietly agreed, "okay. I'll get my stuff and we can go."

"No," came a clipped reply from the back of Naruto as he left the room yet again, this time heading back down the hall to the front door. "No? What do you mean no. I'm coming with you." Sasuke watched incrediously as Naruto adamantly shook his head. "You need to stay here. Hold down the fort. I don't know how long I'll be gone. Besides, you've got school tomorrow. You can't afford to miss a class right now."

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm coming with you, Naruto. And that's that." A weary sigh escaped the blonde's lips before he knelt down to put on his shoes. "I need to do this on my own, Sasuke… I have to be there for my family— for my mom. They need me."

"And who's going to be there for you?" Sasuke could feel the panic rising in his chest as he slowly started to realize that he was fighting a losing battle. Naruto finished tying his shoes and put on a warm jacket from the coat wrack before he bothered to respond. "I'll be fine." The way his voice quivered blatantly contradicted his statement, but Naruto was determined to make the trip and support his family. He couldn't let himself fall apart again. He couldn't be that selfish. Right now, getting to them was all that mattered.

 _He's not thinking clearly_! Sasuke thought as he reached out in desperation and tried to reason with his emotionally unstable boyfriend. "You can't go by yourself. You're in no condition to drive right now, Naruto! And it'll be dark soon. Just— let me go with you. I can take care of you. I can help you!" Sasuke's voice rose higher when Naruto grabbed his suitcase in one hand and the door knob in the other, seemingly unaffected by his boyfriend's frantic pleas. Grabbing onto the blonde's sleeve was Sasuke's last card to play, and for a moment, Naruto hesitated to leave. "You don't have to do this on your own," Sasuke pleaded more than anything. "Please. Don't shut me out when you need me the most." Naruto reluctantly turned around, and with wary smile, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Sasuke's forehead. Sasuke's eyes briefly fluttered closed with a hope rising in his chest that maybe Naruto had changed his mind. It was a crushing blow when Naruto whispered "I'll call you when I get there" and swiftly made his exit. The front door closed behind him, leaving Sasuke all alone in their now much too quiet apartment.

That was a bad night for Sasuke.

Naruto called around 9, as promised, sounding utterly exhausted and with very little to say. With what little information Sasuke could gather, Naruto's grandmother had been transferred to the nearest hospital and was currently being looked after by the staff and nurses. Sasuke once again tried to convince the blond to allow him to drive up there, but Naruto wouldn't change his mind. Sasuke hated it, but without Naruto's permission, showing up as the odd man out just didn't feel right. On the other hand, not going made Sasuke feel as if he was abandoning Naruto somehow. He wanted to be there for his boyfriend and help in any way he could. But if staying home was what Naruto wanted him to do, then he would honour his wishes and stay home.

It hurt that Naruto didn't want him there, but at the same time, Sasuke knew it wasn't anything personal against him. Naruto was going to deal with this his own way. And under these circumstances, Sasuke knew he had no right to complain. Naruto promised to keep him updated, and after a feeble goodnight, he hung up the phone and left Sasuke to a night of restless sleeping.

The next day dragged on and on in a never ending loop of Sasuke constantly checking his phone for new information. He could barely pay attention in his classes as he anxiously waited for Naruto's next call. When the school day had finally come to an end and Sasuke still hadn't heard anything, he quickly packed up his things and hurried back to his car, deciding to call Naruto instead when he got home. On the way there, Sasuke ran into Kiba in the parking lot. The brunette immediately broke away from what he referred to as his 'secondary friends' and started heading in the Uchiha's direction. "Mr Clean! Hey, where's your boyfriend? He decide to play hooky or something?" Kiba ran up to him wearing a playful grin, easily contrasting Sasuke's poignant frown.

Sasuke had learned from Naruto that sometimes Kiba was just as emotionally stupid as he was, but at this point, Sasuke knew the brunette well enough to know that if one of Naruto's relatives were dying, he wouldn't be walking around with a big grin and cracking jokes. This led Sasuke to believe that Kiba had no idea what was going on. It wasn't surprising that Naruto hadn't had the time to call everyone. The thought probably hadn't even crossed the blonde's mind. Unfortunately, that left Sasuke with the regrettable task of having to inform Kiba, and possibly others depending on how the day went, himself. "Naruto's not here, Kiba. Something happened…" Seeing Sasuke's stoic expression, Kiba's grin quickly faded. His smile dropped and was replaced by a look of subdued panic as he pulled Sasuke off to the side so they could speak in private. "What are you talking about? What happened? Is he okay?"

"Yes…and no. It's his grandmother. She's in the hospital. We found out last night. Naruto's there with his family right now. They don't think she has much time left…"

"Fuck!" Kiba exclaimed and turned his body as if looking for something to punch. The frustration was evident in his actions, and honestly, Sasuke couldn't blame him for reacting in such a way. After taking a few seconds to compose himself, Kiba slowly turned back to look at Sasuke with eyes full of grief. "This is going to kill him," he said, so easily, so sure of his words that Sasuke couldn't help but agree with him. "How did he take the news?"

"It was bad, Kiba." Sasuke felt his heart sink just thinking about it. "He just shutdown and went into autopilot. It's like he wouldn't let himself fall apart, even though he clearly already was. I tried to help him, but he wouldn't listen to me. He just took off and told me to stay here. I didn't know what else I was supposed to do." Kiba could see that Sasuke was visibly shaken from the events that unfolded last night. He couldn't imagine it would be easy to see someone you love go through something like that. Obviously, it hadn't been something Sasuke was prepared for, and that made Kiba feel all sorts of sympathy for the guy. "You okay?" Kiba asked gently, showing a rare side of attentiveness. Sasuke could only shrug in response because what was he supposed to say? If he said yes he'd be lying, and if he said no, then that would be making this about him. Sasuke was most definitely not okay, and every second that ticked by only made the guilt and emptiness inside him intensify. He should be there. He should be there with Naruto, holding his hand, lending a shoulder to cry on, _something_. Sasuke couldn't do anything for him here. But Naruto told him to stay. Why? Why wouldn't he accept Sasuke's help? Why did he just run out like that?

 _Why?_

A light pat on Sasuke's shoulder brought him back to the conversation at hand. Kiba forced a half smile, although it looked as if it physically pained him to do so. "It's Naruto we're talking about here. It may take some time…but he'll pull through this. Dude's strong. Nothing can keep him down for long." Sasuke couldn't stop his cynicism from seeping through in the form of a grimace. "And what do we do until then?"

"Hell if I know." Sasuke huffed with irritation, but in all honesty, he was just as clueless as Kiba. "But, I figure if he didn't want you to come, then he's probably not interested in any visitors. So I guess that leaves me out of the loop." For a moment, Sasuke was almost thankful for this revelation. He could just see Kiba raving to Naruto about the magical healing powers of alcohol and getting Naruto drunk off his ass in hopes of numbing the pain. Been there, done that. It didn't work then, and it wouldn't work now. Then again, this was just Sasuke thinking the worst of Kiba, probably more intensely because of the emotional strain he was going through. Instead of verbalizing his ill-tempered thoughts, Sasuke decided to go with "I'm going to call him when I get home. I'll keep you updated." Kiba nodded stiffly, and after an awkward departure, he slumped back over to his waiting group of friends. Sasuke let out a sigh before finally making it to his car and driving back home. As soon as he had the landline in his hand, Sasuke dialled Naruto's cell and held his breath as it rang. Once… Twice… Three times… "Sasuke."

 _Thank god_.

"Naruto. Are you okay? What's going on?" A sigh escaped through the speakers. "Yeah… I'm okay. I-" Naruto paused and in the silence Sasuke could make out other unidentified voices in the background talking to him. "Yeah, sure. Hang on a sec, Sasuke." This time Sasuke heard shuffling and footsteps before the faint sound of a door closing. "Sorry. Not allowed calls in the room." A pregnant pause followed Naruto's statement, and Sasuke quickly realised the responsibility of making conversation was going to lie heavily on his own shoulders. "You sound exhausted." It probably wasn't the best topic to start on, but Sasuke wouldn't have said it if he wasn't so disturbed by the lack of energy in the blonde's voice. Naruto didn't even attempt to deny it. His voice was completely monotone. "Yeah, well, I've been up all night. Didn't want to waste my time with her, you know?"

"Is she...?" Sasuke didn't want to say the word, and he was positive Naruto didn't want to hear it either, so he left it out in the open, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Another long sigh. "She's resting. They've got her hooked up to the IV and they're doing everything they can to make her comfortable, but…" This time, it was Naruto who left his sentence incomplete.

Time to change the subject.

"How's Kushina taking it?"

"She's… holding it together. But I know it's just an act. My Dad's convinced she's going to break. I honestly don't know what we're going to do to help her. When the alpha of the pack falls, wh-what are the rest of us supposed to do, right?" Naruto let out the weakest sounding laugh Sasuke had ever heard and it hurt. It hurt so damn much that Sasuke felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes. "Naruto…" Sensing the pity in his boyfriend's voice, Naruto quickly changed the subject. He didn't want Sasuke to coddle him. If he did, Naruto was sure he wouldn't be able to hold it together. "I'm glad you called. Somehow just hearing your voice is already making me feel better… I miss you."

"Then why-"

"But I'm also glad you stayed. I know it doesn't make any sense— but knowing you're there, in our home, carrying on normally— somehow, it helps. I don't know why, but it helps." Sasuke let out a quiet sigh as he sat down on the couch with his legs crossed underneath his body. "Well, at least I'm doing something…"

"Are you mad?" Naruto asked after swallowing the lump in his throat. "No. No, I'm not mad, Naruto. I just— I'm worried about you. I'm afraid that you're so concerned about everyone else's feelings that you're completely disregarding your own. You don't have to pretend. It doesn't have to be your responsibility to take care of everyone." For a moment, Naruto said nothing, and Sasuke sat in silence listening to his steady breathing. When Naruto finally did speak, Sasuke could hear the torment in his voice. "If I don't…then who will...?"

* * *

The next day, Itachi stopped by the apartment to check on his little brother. Sasuke had sent Itachi a couple of texts over the past few days explaining the situation and voicing his concerns. After receiving the last upsetting text from the previous night, Itachi decided to take it upon himself to visit his brother and keep him company while Naruto was out of town. If he was being honest, Sasuke was grateful for the distraction. It worked, for the most part, but in every conversation there was an undertone of sadness in Sasuke's voice. Itachi tried not to push the subject that was on both their minds, but when he convinced Sasuke to go out for dinner and the two sat across from each other in heavy silence for a good five minutes, it seemed inevitable. "How are you doing?" Itachi eventually asked after getting a refill on their drinks.

Sasuke looked hesitant to answer at first, probably wondering if there was any chance he could steer the conversation in a different direction. But, after a moment of deliberation, he caved and let out a sigh. "I'm sad." It wasn't exactly a dean's list kind of answer, but sometimes using simple words made it easier to explain yourself. Itachi nodded as if that answered all of his questions, but at the same time, he was still waiting for more of an explanation. But, as always, he was letting Sasuke take his time, collect his thoughts and feelings, decide how much he wanted to share.

Honestly. His brother should have been a counsellor.

"I'm sad that he doesn't want me there. I'm sad that he's losing someone he loves… I'm sad that I have no idea what to do in this situation. I mean, it's not like they covered this in the 'relationship handbook'. How am I supposed to help him? How do _I_ cope?" Sasuke wasn't sure if it was a rhetorical question or if he was really that desperate for some advice. Either way, Itachi leaned back in his seat, baring a pensive expression. "We all handle grief in different ways, Sasuke. Maybe Naruto's way is confiding in his family— like a safety net. I don't think it really has anything to do with you on a personal level… It's just a defence mechanism."  
Sasuke slumped forward and stared into his glass of coke, suddenly finding the bubbles and fizzles to be very interesting."Maybe it's for the best that we're separated… Seeing Naruto like that, thinking about death, it stirred up some…unpleasant memories." Itachi smiled sympathetically. "I know its not easy, but your experience in dealing with loss could benefit Naruto, perhaps more than you think." Sasuke glanced up, his expression riddled with doubt. "I had my chance to give him some big speech about how life goes on and how this pain will only make him stronger, but I blew it. All I could do was stand there and let him cry in my arms. I'm pathetic. Absolutely pathetic."

"Now just wait a minute. None of that self-loathing crap is going to help either one of you. Did you ever consider that maybe that's exactly what he needs? I know you and I are different. We can talk through these kinds of things with relative control, but from what I've seen, and what you've told me, Naruto can't open up like that. He's too repressed. I know you know that. So why are you beating yourself up over this? Some silly little speech isn't going to make him feel better. _You are._ "

How ironic that some silly little speech by his brother (although Sasuke hardly considered it to be silly) had some how managed to make him feel better. Is this really where he was at? Getting lectured by his brother about his own relationship? Having someone else tell him what his boyfriend needs? Itachi was right, though. Naruto wasn't the kind of guy to sit down with a cup of tea and talk about his feelings. And, frankly, Sasuke wasn't the kind of guy who could sit down and start that conversation. Maybe there was a balance somewhere in between. Maybe Sasuke _could_ be enough.

 _Buzz… Buzz..._

Sasuke immediately became distracted when his cell phone buzzed to life in his jacket pocket. Today he had been anxious because Naruto hadn't contacted him all day, and every time his phone rang for whatever reason, he would jump on it without hesitation. Sasuke quickly grabbed it and was a little disappointed to see Naruto's name showing up in a text and not a phone call. But still, he was just glad to hear from him regardless via text or phone call. Itachi took the hint and put their conversation on pause, knowing his little brother was desperate to stay in contact with the blonde. Naruto's text only consisted of three words:

 **I'm coming home**.

A phrase that would normally be comforting if it wasn't for the sad implications. Sasuke didn't need to text him back. He already knew it was over.

* * *

8 o'clock. 9 o'clock. 10 o'clock. The hours ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace. Sasuke had moved from the living room, to the kitchen, to his bedroom, and back into the living room, where he currently resided. He tried to read but his nerves were shot and all the words just started to blend together into an incoherent blob. TV was a little easier to handle because it didn't require as much brain power. Still, he sat in a tensed position on the couch, eyeing the door, just waiting for it to open. Sasuke still didn't know exactly what he was going to say when Naruto arrived, but solely relying on his instincts had worked in the past. Maybe it would pay off this time, too.

When the front door finally swung open, Sasuke bolted up into a standing position and watched as Naruto sluggishly walked inside with his head hanging low. The blond quietly closed the door behind him before turning back to face Sasuke.

Naruto looked absolutely _wrecked_.

His eyes were all red and puffy, and there was still traces of left over tears staining his rosy cheeks. The dark bags under his eyes showed what the lack of sleep had done to his physical appearance. He was looking at Sasuke, but it was a vague, blank stare that seemed drained of all emotion. Sasuke felt his mouth open to say something but no words came out. Naruto didn't even react. He slowly walked into the living, his shoes and jacket still present, and sat down on the couch, prompting Sasuke to quickly sit back down beside him. For several seconds, the two just sat in silence. Then Naruto's shoulders started to shake and his breath came out in a ragged puff of air. "She's gone…" His voice was barely above a whisper before he collapsed down into Sasuke's lap. The Uchiha immediately wrapped his arms around the sobbing man and pulled him tightly against his chest. He would never know for sure, but this was exactly what Naruto wanted. They didn't need words or some big heart to heart. All they needed was each other. And for the rest of his life, Naruto would be eternally grateful for this moment.

A moment where Sasuke held him, and simply let him cry.

* * *

 **Laura** **: Don't worry, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming in the next chapter. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a review. I'd really appreciate it! Until next time!**


	8. The Tail of Keiko

**Laura: I feel absolutely terrible about how long it has taken me to get my act together. I am truly sorry to have kept you all waiting for so long. I finally** **managed to finish this chapter, and I'm hoping now I'll be able to fall into a routine again. But please don't get your hopes up for regular updating because I can't promise that. I can, however, promise you that no matter how long it may take, I have every intention of finishing this series. I can't even begin to imagine abandoning it. With that in mind** **, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotsss**

 **Oh, I almost forgot. Happy Halloween! I wish you all a safe and spooktacular evening!**

* * *

"Naruto, I really think we should consider adopting."

This wasn't the first time Sasuke had brought this up, but it was the first time he was so direct about it. All week Sasuke had been dropping subtle hints regarding the subject of adoption. Naruto had been able to brush them off quite easily and eventually change the subject, but now that he was cornered at the breakfast table, he couldn't just up and leave. Sasuke's hands were folded in front of him on the table, giving off an 'all business' vibe as he waited for Naruto to finish his apple juice and respond.

"Sasuke, that's a big responsibility," Naruto sighed as he started to butter another piece of toast. "I mean, are you sure you're ready for that kind of commitment?" Sasuke's eyes wandered wearily to his hands as Naruto took a large bite of his toast. "I know it won't always be easy... but I think it'll be good for us. It'll teach us some responsibility." Naruto couldn't stop the smirk from appearing on his face. "Is that the pitch Itachi told you to give me?" The blond was almost positive that Sasuke had been in cahoots with his brother, and was most likely taking his advice on how to get Naruto to crack. Not that Sasuke needed any assistance in that endeavour. Naruto had been wearing down all week just because it was Sasuke and he wanted something. Naruto had an irrational desire to please people, especially his romantic partners, and Sasuke was no different. If anything, it was much worse.

Naruto knew he was going to cave eventually. But that didn't mean he was going to tell Sasuke. Not right away, at least. "Would it make a difference if I said I've always wanted one?" Sasuke sighed, bordering on a whine. Naruto frowned. _Yes._

"If you've always _wanted_ one then why didn't you _get_ one? _"_

"Because Itachi wouldn't let me. And Suigestu didn't even want _me_ here. Do you really think he would have let me get a cat too?" Sasuke's bitch face seemed so out of place on the Uchiha's features. Naruto had to cover his mouth for a second and fight back a smile before speaking again. He tried to come off as serious as possible even though he was already laughing on the inside. "I don't know Sasuke. You have to feed it, give it a place to sleep, make sure the environment is safe. And don't even get me started on potty training."

"With the age I'm interested in we won't have to worry about potty training. And I'll buy it a bed. _And_ if this place is safe enough for us, then I'm sure it'll be safe enough for one of them too." Naruto let out a long, exasperated sigh before meeting his boyfriend's determined gaze. _He's got it all figured out, huh._

"And you're sure you want a _cat_?" Naruto didn't even bother to try and hide the distaste in his voice. It's not that he had any particular vendetta against the feline species— he just thought of them as the lesser choice for a house pet. Naruto didn't understand cats at all. One second they're rubbing against you seeking out your attention, and the next they decide they hate you and try to scratch your eyes out. Most of Naruto's experiences with cats had a similar outcome to this scenario, and it had pretty much sworn him off of cats for life. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, his boyfriend had decided that he wanted one and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Naruto never pegged Sasuke as the animal lover type. He always just assumed that the Uchiha would find a pet to be a hindrance more than a loving companion. It was actually nice to see Sasuke so passionate about something, even if Naruto didn't totally agree with it. "Yes," Sasuke answered without hesitation. Naruto grumbled to himself as he stood, grabbed his plate, and dropped it in the dishwasher. "I'd rather get a dog..." he mumbled, still trying to play up his bitterness. Although a part of him was completely serious. He _would_ rather have a dog, but he decided to choose his battles. And this just wasn't worth a battle.

 _"_ Naruto," Sasuke gently scolded him. Obviously, he had made up his mind. And nothing, not even Naruto was going to change that. Well, Naruto could always threaten to get a tarantula in retaliation, but that was going too far, even for him. Not to mention a complete exaggeration to the situation. It's not like Sasuke was inviting a dangerous, wild animal into the apartment.

"Fine," the Uzumaki sighed in defeat as he spun around to lean against the counter and face his boyfriend. "Let's go buy a damn cat." Sasuke's face immediately lit up, seemingly by accident, because he quickly tried to cover it up with a professional looking nod, but Naruto knew him better than that. The man was showing great restraint as he tried to stand up and grab his wallet from the counter as casually as he could. Yeah. Seeing Sasuke this happy was infinitely more important than Naruto's reluctance to change a little box every week.

The blond watched with an amused smirk as Sasuke speed walked into his bedroom, emerging again with a coat and his car keys. When Sasuke turned to Naruto with an expecting look on his face, Naruto couldn't help but get one last quip in before completely submitting. "Heh, I guess you do like pussy after all." It took Sasuke a few seconds to fully process what Naruto meant, and when he did, his giddy exterior warped into an expression of 'I am so done with your shit' in a matter of seconds. "Remember how I said we were going to have this experience together." Sasuke asked rhetorically before crossing his arms over his chest. "That's over now. You get no say. In fact, you don't even get to help me pick it out."

Naruto faked hurt with a pout as he followed Sasuke over to the front door. "I'm heartbroken. Really." Sasuke turned back around to glare at him again and was greeted by a teasing grin from his boyfriend. He felt like he should be annoyed with him, but Sasuke knew at the end of the day, Naruto wanted Sasuke to be happy and get what he wanted. He felt lucky, and he wanted Naruto to know how much this meant to him. Sasuke eventually returned Naruto's smile and gently gripped his upper arm. "Thank you," he said sincerely, earnestly. _Thank you for trusting me._

Naruto breathed out a laugh and nodded before leaning over and opening the door for Sasuke. The Uchiha walked outside and made it down the stairs before he heard Naruto's voice yell at him from behind. "If you bring back something without hair I'll never forgive you!" Sasuke smirked on the way to his car and shouted back without turning around. "No say!"

What Sasuke brought back definitely had hair. Very fine, silky black hair from head to toe, to be exact. Its eyes were an emerald green with gold speckles and its long, thin whiskers bordered a black nose. It wasn't that big, nor too small. Average, manageable, maybe even a little cute. But not nearly as cute as the repressed giddy expression on the Uchiha's face as he set down the newly bought cat carrier on the living room floor, and bent down to open the metal cage door. "Welcome to your new home, Keiko," Sasuke happily announced as the feline now known as 'Keiko' hesitantly slinked out of the cage and took in the new surroundings.

Naruto lifted his eyebrow curiously. "'Keiko'?" Sasuke nodded, his eyes still fixated on the cat who was now sniffing around the living room. "Yes, Keiko. She's 4 years old and completely litter box trained." Naruto nodded absentmindedly as he, too, watched Keiko's every move. Definitely more critical than Sasuke was. "Why Keiko?" he asked. Sasuke shrugged before kneeling down to pet Keiko behind the ears. She shied away from him at first and Sasuke backed off until she was comfortable enough to approach him. "I don't know," he eventually said, smiling when she started pushing into his hand for more attention. "She just looks like a Keiko."

Naruto eyed his boyfriend wearily just waiting for the affectionate head butts to turn into sharp teeth sinking into his skin. "Why a girl?" Sasuke turned to look at him then, his eyebrow raised questioningly. "I don't have the best track record with women," Naruto explained with a grimace. Sasuke rolled his eyes comically before climbing back onto his feet and slipping past Naruto to get back to the front door. "Everything she needs is in the car. I'll be right back. Watch her." Sasuke said this over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.

Naruto let out a low sigh before looking down at Keiko who was now sitting pretty in front of him, staring as if she was waiting for him to make the first move. Naruto took the initiative and sat down on the carpet with his legs crossed underneath him. Keiko sat perfectly still, keeping her eyes on his every move. "Hey there," Naruto cooed, feeling weirdly nervous for some reason. "Aren't you a pretty kitty?" Naruto didn't know what he was expecting. Obviously the cat wasn't going to talk back to him, but the awkward silence that followed and her unnerving laser stare made Naruto cough self-consciously. "Okay, uh... Nice kitty?" Naruto hesitantly reached out his hand trying to mimic Sasuke's actions from earlier but Keiko suddenly hissed and bolted away from him, finding refuge underneath the dinner table. Naruto frowned and dropped his hand back into his lap feeling defeated. "Well that could have gone better," he grumbled sarcastically just as Sasuke came stumbling back into the house, arms filled with different cat appliances.

The Uchiha saw his boyfriend sitting on the floor and automatically started looking for Keiko. "Where is she?" he asked before setting down a bag of cat food on the kitchen counter. Still feeling bitter, Naruto passive-aggressively pointed to the table before standing up again and going to investigate all the new items Sasuke brought in. Toys, litter box, litter, cat nip, a bed, and a scratching post. "You went over board." It wasn't a question. Sasuke was already on the floor trying to coax Keiko back out into the open. "I only bought the essentials," he stated matter-of-factly. Naruto saw the corner of a receipt peaking out from one of the plastic bags. He decided it was in his best interest not to look.

"Alright. Well good luck with all of–" Naruto waved his hand around lazily, "–this. I'm going for a run."

"What?" Sasuke did a double take as if he didn't fully register what Naruto had said the first time. Turning down the hall, Naruto looked over his shoulder and clarified, "A run. You know, exercise?"

"You can't leave now," Sasuke insisted before rising to his feet and meeting Naruto half way. "The first time we bring a new pet home is crucial. This is when we establish a bond with her. I picked her out and she's been with me in the car. You're a complete stranger. If you leave now, she might never warm up to you." Sasuke was dead serious, and although the Uchiha had probably spent hours researching this stuff and was probably right, Naruto couldn't help but think he was adorable for getting so worked up.

The blond cupped Sasuke's jaw and kissed him unexpectedly on the lips. Sasuke was just about to respond when Naruto suddenly pulled back. "Sasuke," Naruto began solemnly, his expression stoic. "We've had this animal for 5 minutes and you're already starting to sound like a crazy cat lady." Sasuke pushed Naruto's hands away from his face as Naruto began to chuckle at his frustrated expression. "As a wise man once said; I'm passionate. Not crazy."

"Wise man? You mean your brother?"

"Shut up." Naruto let out another laugh before leaving Sasuke alone to get acquainted with their new housemate. Maybe Sasuke _was_ being a little excessive, but he couldn't help it. Sasuke was excited. This was the first pet he's ever had. His parents never had the time to take on a pet and Itachi was weird around animals. Sasuke didn't think that he hated them. His brother just didn't know how to interact with them. Sasuke hoped Keiko would be an exception. Said cat had finally come out of hiding and was slowly approaching Sasuke with the caution of a deer tip toeing through the woods. Sasuke got as low to the ground as possible, flat on his stomach, and gently coaxed her over by rubbing his fingers together. "That's a good girl." Keiko finally reached his hand and rubbed against it, tickling the palm of his hand with her long whiskers. "Okay, Keiko. Let's get you settled." As if she was agreeing with him, Keiko began to loudly purr in response.

When Naruto came back from his run, a food and water dish were set up in the kitchen, a scratching post standing in the living room, litter box in the bathroom, and the cat bed at the end of the hallway. Toys were littered everywhere, and who knows how many cupboards Sasuke had stacked full of meat and kibble.

His boyfriend was currently sitting on the couch studying with headphones on. Keiko was curled up next to him. Not quite on him, but definitely sharing his cushion. When Naruto came in, Sasuke took off his headphones and greeted him. "I assume the bonding went well," Naruto commented before gesturing between the two of them. Sasuke glanced down at Keiko and smiled at her sleeping form before looking back up at Naruto. "Jealous?" he teased. Naruto scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. I'm going for a shower." As an after thought, Naruto added, "Would you care to join me?"

"So I can slip and crack my head open on the tiles while you grope me from behind? I don't think so."

"It's always about sex with you, isn't it? I was merely offering out of concern for your hygiene." Sasuke shook his head in light-hearted exasperation. "My hygiene is fine, thank you very much. Yours on the other hand..." Sasuke stared pointedly at the large pit stains on Naruto's grey shirt. Naruto grinned in response. "I think it's only fair you offer me the same concern and make sure I come out squeaky clean. Preferably by joining me." Sasuke was about to retort but Keiko suddenly stretched across his lap, effectively pinning him to the couch. The Uchiha smirked before looking at Naruto with fake remorse. "You know, I would, but it doesn't look like I can move. Sorry." Realizing he wasn't going to win this one, Naruto gave a cavalier shrug and moved on. It's not like she did it on purpose.

When bedtime arrived, Sasuke spent a good 10 minutes trying to get Keiko to stay in her own bed at the end of the hall. Every time Sasuke walked into his room, Keiko would jump up and follow him. Eventually the Uchiha had to run back into the room and close the door behind him to prevent her from coming after him. Naruto was already relaxing comfortably on the bed watching the whole debacle when Sasuke slid in beside him and told him to keep his mouth shut. Just as Naruto was starting to doze off, he heard a loud meowing coming from the other side of the door. Naruto leaned up on his elbows and glared at the furry feet peaking out from under the door. "Sasuke." Naruto nudged his boyfriend's shoulder. Sasuke sighed into his pillow. "She's just nervous. Try to ignore her. She'll stop eventually."

meow

MEOW

 **MEOW!**

"She's not stopping Sasuke."

"I can hear that Naruto." Naruto fought down the urge to stick his tongue out at the back of Sasuke's head. _I knew we should have gotten a dog._ Just as Naruto was thinking this, Keiko stopped meowing and the apartment became silent once again. "See? Now go to sleep." Sasuke rolled on his side and tugged the blankets up over his shoulders before attempting to fall back asleep. Naruto rolled his eyes but eventually flopped down onto his back and closed his eyes. Their peace and quiet only lasted a minute or two before Keiko starting scratching at the door. Naruto groaned and slammed the nearest pillow over his head.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

The next morning when Naruto got up to go to the bathroom, Keiko was still standing directly outside of the door. He stared the cat down as she looked up at him with piercing green eyes. "Were you sitting here all night?" he asked warily. Keiko blinked a few times before dashing past his feet and jumped up onto the bed where Sasuke was still sleeping soundly. She curled up into a ball by his feet but kept watch over Naruto as he shook his head and continued his trail to the bathroom.

When he came back Sasuke was awake and petting Keiko's back. Apparently she had fallen asleep. "Nice to know someone is getting some shut eye," Naruto grumbled tiredly before clumping back into his bedroom for a new pair of clothes. Keiko had kept him up all night with her constant whining. He had no idea how Sasuke managed to sleep through all of it. They probably should have just let her into the room with them. She seemed pretty comfortable there now. Even though Naruto wanted to establish some boundaries by keeping her bed out in the hall, he didn't think he would be able to handle another sleepless night. He wasn't as young as he used to be.

As the day went on, it became apparent to Naruto that Keiko had already chosen a favourite between the two of them. Spoiler alert: it wasn't Naruto. Whether or not it had anything to do with all of that 'bonding right off the bat' stuff Sasuke was talking about, he didn't really think much of it. Cats were unpredictable, regardless of their familiarity with humans. They weren't like dogs. They didn't just run up to complete strangers and declare them their best friend with a playful bark and a lick.

Naruto believed that cats will either love you or hate you. He didn't think there was much room for anything in between. Its not like Naruto was purposely trying to ignore her, or that he wanted nothing to do with her. Naruto loved animals, and he liked the idea of having to take care of another living, breathing thing with Sasuke; like they were a family. Sasuke was just more committed to getting on her good side. He fed her every meal, played with her whenever she showed any interest in the toys he had bought, and practically dropped everything to pet her when she showed him the slightest hint of affection. Naruto tried to butt in on these love fests ever so often, but Keiko either ignored him or just moved closer to Sasuke.

Naruto found it odd that she already seemed to have some kind of grudge against him. He didn't have much hope in finding the cause of the problem. It could have been the cologne he was wearing, the colour of his shirt, maybe even the sound of his voice. Whatever it was, Keiko steered clear of him for the entire day. She even moved away when Naruto came and sat down on the couch beside her! It was a clear sign of rejection.

That one had stung a little.

That night, Naruto dragged Keiko's bed into Sasuke's room and made sure she was as comfortable as possible before settling down for the night. Instead of meowing for attention, Keiko was determined to sleep _on_ the bed and not beside it. Naruto counted 12 times that she jumped up on the bed and he had to swat her back down onto the floor. He had already compromised by letting her into the room with them. He had no intention of sharing his bed with her.

Unsurprisingly, Sasuke had nothing to say on the matter. Truthfully, he would have been just as happy to have her sleeping in the bed with them, but he figured Naruto had already made a big enough sacrifice by agreeing to share the responsibility of taking care of her. He didn't want to push his luck. Especially since the two of them weren't getting along yet.

By the third day, Keiko's hurtful, yet still harmless, indifference started to take an aggressive turn. While Sasuke was in the kitchen scraping together some kind of lunch for the two of them, Naruto decided to tackle some of his chores and do a couple loads of laundry. He offered to do Sasuke's as well, so after collecting his own basket of dirty clothes in his bedroom, he covered the short distance to Sasuke's room. However, instead of entering the room, Naruto stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Keiko sitting in the middle of the floor, conviently blocking Sasuke's laundry basket.

Having been officially challenged to a stand off, Naruto nodded to her in acknowledgment. "Keiko." Keiko sat perfectly still, showing no signs of moving anytime soon. "I'm just going to slowly squeeze by you." Naruto chanced taking a step into the room but Keiko immediately hissed and stood up in a defensive manner. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Naruto balanced the basket he was holding on his hip and raised his left hand in defence. "I'm just going to get his laundry and then I'll be gone. No one has to get hurt." It briefly crossed Naruto's mind how absurd it was that he was trying to negosiate with a cat, but then Keiko's eyes narrowed as if to glare at him and Naruto knew he was in for one hell of a fight. He glared back full force; refusing to back down.

Not 30 seconds later, Sasuke brushed past Naruto, picked up his laundry basket and shoved it into the blonde's arms. Without so much as a glance, Sasuke exited his bedroom and headed back into the kitchen with Keiko proudly following after him. Naruto stood in the hall for a moment trying to convince himself that he wasn't crazy and Keiko really _was_ out to get him. Why is it that she only misbehaved when only Naruto was present? It's like she purposefully waits until Sasuke is out of the room to act like a psycho. And Sasuke, Sasuke was so in love with her that he couldn't even imagine his little angel doing anything wrong.

Keiko was bizarrely possessive when it came to Sasuke, and Naruto was starting to get sick of her hogging all the attention. Yes, Naruto was jealous of a cat. He didn't need anyone else to tell him how insane that was. He was perfectly aware.

* * *

Quiet moans and gasps fell from Sasuke's lips as Naruto pushed into him over and over again. Slow, gentle, making love. The blonde had Sasuke's hands pinned above his head, their fingers laced together in a tender squeeze. Naruto kissed and nipped at Sasuke's neck, loving the low pitched whine that vibrated in the younger man's throat as he thrust into his sweet spot, pushing them both closer to the edge. Sasuke's ankles clung loosely around Naruto's lower back, holding him close enough so that his entire body was encaged by Naruto's. "Ah... uhn... N-Naruto. Close..." Sasuke warned in a breathy moan before freeing his hand from Naruto's grasp and wrapping it around his own erection, stroking himself closer and closer to his climax. "Nnn... me too," Naruto grunted before leaning down to steal a long, deep kiss.

The quiet sound of their bedroom door slowly creaking open caught Naruto's attention and he quickly lifted his head to inspect the unexpected interruption. When Naruto's thrusts came to a standstill, Sasuke looked up at his lover curiously and asked, "What's wrong?" still flustered and uncomfortably close to finishing. "It's watching us," Naruto whispered out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes wide in horror. Even more puzzled by his boyfriend's actions, Sasuke hesitantly stuck out his neck to see around Naruto's shoulder.

There, in the middle of the threshold, Keiko sat stiffly with her long black tail wrapped tightly around her body. Her glaring green eyes seemed to bore into Naruto's as the blonde slowly lifted himself up to balance on his out stretched arms. Sasuke recognized that crazed look in Naruto's eyes that always seemed to appear when Keiko was nearby and quickly grabbed his face and redirected his attention back onto him. "Just ignore her," Sasuke instructed in a hushed voice before kissing him distractingly on the lips. Naruto kissed back, but he kept looking out of the corner of his eye, half expecting Keiko to be slowly slinking across the floor towards them. "Naruto," Sasuke let out an exasperated huff of annoyance. "She's not doing anything. Just let her be."

"I'm too vulnerable like this. I don't want that thing anywhere near my dick." Naruto abruptly shifted his hips to pull himself out of his boyfriend, forcing a surprised yelp from the Uchiha. "Nar-! W-wait-!" Naruto stilled as he felt Sasuke tighten around him and gasp out a moan. The blonde stared down at his boyfriend's stomach, his eyes widening when he saw the sticky white fluid pooling around Sasuke's bellybutton. Naruto glanced back up at his face inquiringly. "Did... did you just...?" Sasuke blushed red like one of his beloved tomatoes and covered his face with his clean hand, completely mortified. The corner of Naruto's mouth quirked into a perplexed smirk. "I didn't know you got off on being watched."

Keiko marched off with her tail flicking irritably behind her.

* * *

"I'm telling you Sasuke, she's out to get me!" Naruto exclaimed after cornering Sasuke in the living room one evening. Sasuke sat comfortably in his chair reading a book. His eyes never wandered from the page. "She is not out to get you," he replied calmly. "Yes she is! Every time I try to get close to you she hisses at me! We can't even have sex without her getting in the way!" Naruto insisted, waving his hands around animatedly to prove his point. "And yesterday she actually bit me! Look! You can still see the teeth marks!"

"Okay, first of all, we should have shut the door entirely. So it's not really Keiko's fault. And secondly, she probably bit you because you did something to provoke her."

"I was giving her dinner! And then last night—did you even _notice_ her trying to push me off the bed? It's like she thinks _she_ owns _you_ and not the other way around! I'm getting in the way of her quality time with you and she wants blood!" Releasing a long sigh, Sasuke marked his place in the book and gently placed it down on his lap before meeting Naruto's wild eyes. "She's a cat Naruto. Not some revenge seeking huntress."

"How can you be so sure? She could just be some crazy old witch disguised as a cat! You don't know where she came from!" Naruto had gotten so worked up that Keiko ending up jumping onto Sasuke's lap as if to protect him. The blond flinched when Sasuke started petting her fur and Keiko purred lovingly in response. "The only crazy one I'm seeing is standing right in front of me," Sasuke with a quiet chuckle, finding Naruto's accusations to be both absurd and entertaining at the same time. He told him to bond with her. This outcome was his own doing.

Naruto let out an aggravated huff before crossing his arms protectively over his chest when Keiko looked over at him. "Mark my words Sasuke. One of these mornings you're going to wake up and find me covered in scratches with my throat slit. Then we'll see whose laughing." Unable to ignore the opportunity to tease his boyfriend, Sasuke leaned his head down near Keiko's mouth and pretended to have a conversation with her. "What's that? Yes, Keiko, I agree. It's so sad when their minds start to go. I think we'll have to have him put down too." Naruto looked extremely irritated as Sasuke continued to provoke him by whispering into Keiko's ear and smirking as if she had said something clever in response. "Unbelievable," Naruto grumbled before spinning on his heels and marching back down the hall. Sasuke heard him complaining until a door closed loudly behind him. "I'm losing my boyfriend to a cat... To a goddamn cat—"

Chuckling at Naruto's expense, Sasuke picked his book back up and absentmindedly asked Keiko, "You're not really trying to kill him, are you?" while rubbing his fingers through her fur. Keiko twisted her head around to look at Sasuke's face and meowed loud and clear as if answering his question. Startled, Sasuke peered over the top of his book and could have sworn Keiko was actually _smiling_ at him. For the sake of his own sanity, the Uchiha decided to ignore it and return to his book. She was just a cat. She wasn't capable of scheming…right?

Wrong. Keiko continued to torment Naruto relentlessly for the rest of the week. One day after returning home from school, Naruto found his posters on the wall ripped to shreds and all of his little knick knacks littered on his bedroom floor. For Naruto, it was an obvious declaration of war and confirmed what he had already known to be true. Keiko was specifically targeting him and turning his life into a living hell for no other reason than wanting all of Sasuke's attention. As part of an experiment, and to prove a point, Naruto grabbed Sasuke for a quick make out session directly in front of Keiko. He figured if he could get a rise out of her, Sasuke might actually believe him. Just as Naruto had suspected, Keiko started meowing and rubbing against Sasuke's leg in protest. Naruto excitedly declared "I told you so!" as Sasuke bent down to pick her up. "Instead of making wild accusations, why don't you actually try and make peace with her. This little lady's not going anywhere," Sasuke declared with affection while nuzzling his girl. "And I am?!" Naruto hollered at Sasuke's back as he disappeared into his bedroom, shaking his head and chuckling at his boyfriend's paranoia.

That night, Naruto ordered that they sleep in his room, somehow thinking that it would deter Keiko from wanting on the bed. His plan back fired, obviously, when Naruto woke up and found Keiko curled up in Sasuke's arms sound asleep. Naruto didn't know how, but the little fur ball had somehow managed to sneak into the bed with them completely undetected. Sasuke unconsciously nuzzled his nose into Keiko's warm fur and almost had the hint of a smile on his lips before falling still once again. Naruto felt his heart ache with affection and could have almost called the scene cute if he wasn't so hell bent on winning Sasuke over from the she-devil, who had now inexplicably made her way into their bed. Now that she was here, Naruto saw no point in trying to fight it. Letting out a quiet sigh, Naruto nestled back down into the blankets and drifted off back to sleep.

The next day Sasuke texted his brother an invitation to come over for afternoon tea and a visit, but the younger Uchiha had ulterior motives. He was excited for Itachi to meet Keiko, and more than a little curious to see how Keiko would react to a new face. Besides Naruto and himself, she had no contact with other humans. It was a little discouraging knowing how she had an aversion to Naruto, but Sasuke remained hopefully optimistic that she would at least be perceptive to Itachi's presence. He'd be lying if he said he wouldn't be disappointed if things went the other way.

The knock on the front door immediately peaked Keiko's interest as Sasuke hurried to unlock the door and let his brother in. Although clearly interested in their new guest, Keiko kept her distance of a few feet, allowing Itachi to sit at the kitchen table and give the cat a good look over. For some reason, Itachi's visual examination made Sasuke nervous. "She's still getting used to people. I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually. …Maybe." Itachi quirked his eyebrow but kept his eyes firmly on Keiko. "How as she been adapting?" he asked. "Better than Naruto." Itachi did look up at him then, hearing the amusement in his brother's voice. "What does that mean?" Sasuke busied himself with making the tea while he answered. "Naruto has gotten this ridiculous idea into his head that Keiko is out to get him. He's at the gym right now and I think it's because he's purposefully trying to avoid her." With his back turned, Sasuke was unaware that Keiko was slowly starting to approach his brother. "Is that so..."

"I'll admit she isn't as close to him as I'd like her to be, but he's convinced it's a personal insult to his character."

"Um, Sasuke—"

"He even thinks she's trying to steal me away from him. Which is absurd all in its self, but I doubt giving an explanation now would do him any good anyway. You know how he is. Once he's got something in his head it's nearly impossible to change his mind." A quiet thump from behind and a faint sound of distress caught Sasuke's attention. When he turned around to investigate, the youngest Uchiha was greeted by a surprising sight.

It seemed Keiko had used the table to jump up onto his brother's shoulders and was furiously sniffing his hair. Itachi himself sat awkwardly hunched over looking more out of place than Sasuke had ever seen. "W-what is she doing?" The panic in his voice was unmistakable. Sasuke didn't know if he should feel happy that Keiko approached him or feel smug that his speculation in regards to his brother and animals was still correct. He really was weird around them. "Sasuke—why is she doing that? What does she want?" Sasuke found himself smirking as he continued making the tea, all the while listening to his brother's frantic questions. "Is this normal? Why is she rubbing me? Should I—should I move? Th-that was a claw! I definitely felt a claw just now!"

* * *

Bedtime had rolled around once again and this time Naruto was determined to take a stand. Sasuke was _his_ boyfriend and Keiko had no right to get in between them. Sure she was new and adorable, but so was Naruto, dammit! He marched out of the bathroom with this mindset and was determined to tell Keiko how it is. And if she didn't like it… well, she was their pet so there wasn't much he could do about it. Sasuke made it abundantly clear. She wasn't going anywhere.

Once again, they were sleeping in Sasuke's bed. And once again, Keiko was on the bed. This time, however, she was sharing a pillow with Sasuke's sleeping head. It _definitely_ wasn't cute. Keiko's head perked up as Naruto approached the bed. She looked at him and Naruto looked right back. Somehow, her stare felt different than all of the other times. She wasn't glaring at him anymore. She was just watching him, as if curious. Naruto tried to keep up his bravado, but it slowly started to deflate along with his desire to berate the animal in front of him. Keiko opened her mouth for a quick yawn before her eyes drooped with obvious exhaustion.

Naruto's shoulders slumped and he let out a low sigh as Keiko rested her head back on the pillow but kept her gaze on Naruto. "Alright, alright…" Naruto whispered with a shrug of reluctant defeat. "I guess we can share him… But that doesn't mean you win. This is a truce. Deal?" Keiko blinked once before tucking in her head and curling into a ball behind Sasuke's head. Naruto carefully climbed in on the other side as to not wake Sasuke up and slowly slipped under the covers. Since the Uchiha was sleeping on his side, Naruto scooted up behind him and wrapped his arm protectively around his middle. If Naruto had stubbornly pulled Sasuke closer against his chest, it certainly wasn't to prove a point.

And Keiko certainly didn't start purring because of it.

* * *

 **Laura: As always, reviews are welcomed and greatly appreciated. If I still have any readers left, I'd really like to know if you're still interested. ^_^**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I will absolutely see you in the next chapter!**


	9. All In The Family

**Here we are with another chapter! We finally get some more Naruto/Itachi interaction. I hope you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss.**

* * *

When Naruto's cell phone went off in his pocket, Itachi's voice coming through the speaker was the last thing he expected to hear. "Hello, Naruto. It's Itachi."

"Uh, h-hey, Itachi." Naruto silently cursed himself for letting his nervousness show. Even on the phone Itachi sounded intimidating. After their first unfortunate encounter, Naruto was too embarrassed to face the eldest Uchiha. They had run into each other every now and then during his visits with Sasuke, but Naruto would always find an excuse to leave to avoid making a complete ass out of himself like last time. "How have you been?" Itachi asked calm as ever. "I'm doing well. I mean, I can't complain. And yourself...?"

 _I'm doing well? And yourself?_ Since when did he talk like such a stiff? It sounded so proper and formal. Obviously it was put on. Itachi already knew he was an idiot. Pretending to be anything else was just pathetic at this point.

"Very well, thank you," Itachi replied curtly, snapping Naruto back into their conversation. A short pause followed Itachi's reply. Naruto swallowed and nervously started tugging at the hem of his shirt before bravely breaking the silence. "Is there something I can do for you? Are you trying to get a hold of Sasuke?" In the beginning of their relationship, Sasuke had informed Naruto that he had given Itachi his number in case there was an emergency and Itachi needed to be contacted or visa versa. Naruto had done the same, and added his parent's home number into Sasuke's contacts, just in case.

"No. Actually, I have a request for you."

"Me…?" Naruto gulped.

"Yes, I was wondering if you would be interested in joining me for dinner this evening."

"Oh. Yeah. Sure. I don't think we have any plans. I'll just go double check with Sasuke and then we can—"

"Not Sasuke. Just you."

For a moment, the blonde thought Itachi was messing with him. After thinking about it, Naruto decided it was very unlikely that this person would make a joke like this; or any joke at all, for that matter. Itachi remained silent as he waited for him to respond, proving that he was in fact completely serious. Naruto felt as if he had been pushed out onto a stage in front of thousands of people with his pants around his ankles. Itachi just had this way of saying things… He was so blunt. It made Naruto feel like an animal trapped inside of a cage. He put him on the spot, and although Naruto usually shinned in the lime light, this wasn't the kind of attention he was prepared for.

The blonde sputtered for an appropriate response. "W-with me…? I, uh… Are you sure?" To Naruto's surprise, Itachi let out a small chuckle that somehow managed to calm his nerves a little. "Yes, I am sure. I haven't really had the opportunity to get to know you very well since you started dating my brother. I would like to change that." Guilt swept over the blonde's conscience. Itachi sounded genuinely interested in spending time with him. Meanwhile, Naruto had been purposefully avoiding him for fear of further embarrassment. He knew Sasuke wanted him and his brother to get along. Naruto liked to think that eventually they would, but he certainly didn't expect Itachi to make the first move.

Another moment of silence passed until Itachi finally asked, "Naruto? Are you still there?" The blonde shook his head to snap himself out of his shocked state. "O-oh! Yeah, my bad. Uh, yeah. Dinner would be great. Thanks."

"Excellent. I should be there in about half an hour." Naruto nodded despite the fact that no one was around to see it. "Sounds good. I'll see you then." Itachi could hear it in his voice that Naruto was uncomfortable so he took pity on the blonde and hung up first.

Naruto stuffed his cell phone back into his pocket while letting out a deep sigh. He still didn't fully trust himself around Itachi, but he wasn't nearly as nervous as he was the first time they met. Back then, he felt like he needed Itachi's approval to be able to spend time with Sasuke. And although he still wanted the eldest Uchiha's approval, he knew that he didn't necessarily need it anymore. He knew Sasuke would love him whether is brother liked him or not. Then again, maybe he was just being arrogant. After all, Itachi had been the most important person in Sasuke's life until he had shown up. He knew if things stayed the same between them it would only hurt Sasuke in the long run. Naruto had no intention of letting Sasuke down.

This is Naruto Uzumaki we're talking about. If he could make Sasuke Uchiha fall in love with him then he could befriend his older brother no problem.

Naruto quickly walked out of this bedroom and found Sasuke trying to decide what to make for dinner in the kitchen. The Uchiha stopped what he was doing when Naruto came into the room. From the look on the blonde's face, Sasuke knew he was up to something. "What did you do?" Sasuke asked suspiciously. "Huh? Nothing."

"You've got that look," Sasuke continued to push.

"What look?"

"That I'm on a mission look." Naruto couldn't stop himself from grinning. He loved how Sasuke knew him so well. "It's not what I did. It's what I'm going to do," the blonde announced with a proud smirk. The Uchiha felt himself grimace as he asked, "What are you going to do?"

Sasuke watched as his boyfriend lifted up his chin in a display of confidence. "I'm going to win over your brother," he said, completely throwing the youngest Uchiha off guard. This was the last thing Sasuke expected to hear from the blonde and it showed from the way his eyes widened in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"I just got off the phone with Itachi. He said he wanted to go out for dinner tonight, just the two of us. Said he wants to get to know me better." Sasuke stared blankly at Naruto as he tried to process this new information. Itachi hadn't said anything to him about wanting to spend time with Naruto, which Sasuke found odd. But then again, his brother had been exceeding his expectations for most of his relationship with Naruto.

Itachi had been unusually tolerant where Naruto was involved. For most of his life, Itachi had been immensely protective of his little brother, and for good reason. Seeing as how Itachi was the only remaining family he had left, Sasuke felt the same way to some degree. But Itachi had a way of taking things to the extreme. When Sasuke was a teenager, Itachi kept very close tabs on him, sometimes without Sasuke even being aware of it. And yet, one thing Itachi never had to worry about was Sasuke's love life. Sasuke had never really been all that in interested in relationships to begin with, but that's not to say he never dated anyone. Back then, Sasuke had made it clear that he didn't have any real attachments to the girls he went out with, so Itachi never felt the urge to step in. Sasuke always figured if he ever showed any genuine feelings for another person, then Itachi would be all over them.

He never expected his brother to be so lenient. Itachi had been the one to encourage his relationship with Naruto in the first place. And this was before he had even met the blonde. For a long time Sasuke had wondered if his brother was just biting his tongue and keeping his opinions to himself as to not hurt his feelings, but now Itachi was purposefully inviting Naruto out for the night with zero prompting from Sasuke. A part of him was glad that his brother was taking an interest in his boyfriend, but at the same time Sasuke couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. He knew his brother could be… intense, and he didn't know if Naruto would be able to withstand the pressure.

He already knew his brother made the blond nervous. If things started to take a turn for the worse, Sasuke wouldn't be there as a buffer to smooth things over. As of now, Itachi and Naruto were the two people he loved most in the world. The thought of them not getting along was a hard pill to swallow.

On the other hand, what if they _did_ hit it off? The stories Itachi could tell the blond about Sasuke's younger years were endless. It wasn't very often that Sasuke let embarrassment get the best of him, but if anyone could make it happen, it was his secretly sadistic brother.

No wonder Naruto was so adamant about Sasuke and Kushina not conversing outside of their designated visits. The idea of his family secrets being revealed to a loved one outside of the family was frightening to say the least.

Naruto was still standing there waiting for some kind of positive reaction from Sasuke, but the Uchiha was too busy working himself up over trivial things to give the blond what he wanted. "Itachi said he wanted to spend time with you," Sasuke slowly repeated what Naruto had told him. "Yeah! That means he doesn't hate me after all! Isn't that great?"

Sasuke nodded his head. "Uh huh…"

Naruto quickly caught on to Sasuke's sour mood and felt a sense of dread wash over him. "Oh my god, he's going to kill me," Naruto deadpanned, and Sasuke could see a legitimate fear in the blonde's eyes. "That's it, isn't it? He's trying to get me alone to exact his revenge! I knew he didn't forgive me for ruining his pants!"

"Okay, I'm going to forget how strange that sounds and put your mind at ease. My brother is not going to kill you," Sasuke tried to explain calmly without cracking a smile. "If he says he wants to get to know you better then, you know… he wants to get to know you better." Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why don't you sound sure? What aren't you telling me? Maybe you should come with us after all." Before Sasuke could answer any of the blonde's rapid questions, Naruto had already steered the conversation in an entirely new direction. "What happened to winning my brother over?" Sasuke asked, arching an eyebrow. "What happened to don't worry he'll warm up to you," Naruto quickly countered. "To be fair, the both of you could have put in a little more effort," Sasuke told him with a pout. "I was scared to meet your parents too, remember? But I still did it." Naruto didn't know if the Uchiha was trying to guilt trip him or not, but he still found himself frowning. "And I had _two_ people to impress. You only have one. I'm sure – well, I don't _think_ Itachi would invite you out just to pick a fight." Naruto glared at Sasuke's abrupt change of tone. "It'll be… fine," Sasuke continued tentatively. Naruto threw his hands up in the air and exclaimed, "You hesitated again! What the hell!" Sasuke bit his lip in frustration.

It appeared no matter what he did Naruto was just getting more and more worked up. He didn't know what he could say to make the blonde, and himself, calm down. After a few moments of silence, Naruto let out a low sigh and awkwardly scratched at the back of his head. "Sorry... I'm not trying to make your brother out as a monster or anything. I just really want him to like me."

"He will," Sasuke assured him then quickly corrected himself. "He does. Don't over think it. Just be your usual charming self and everything will be fine." Naruto cracked a smile and Sasuke could finally feel the both of them start to relax. "I don't suppose you have any tips for me," the blonde questioned before making his way over to his boyfriend's side. Knowing what Naruto was after, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck while hands settled on his hips. "Like I said: just be yourself. You don't need a cheat-cheat." Naruto smirked before leaning in and stealing a quick kiss. After a second of exchanged glances Sasuke quickly added, "Maybe you shouldn't bring up his job. He thinks it's boring so he doesn't like to talk about it." Naruto's deflated expression made Sasuke laugh before he pulled out of the blonde's grasp and went back to staring in the fridge. Naruto lightly rolled his eyes as he walked over to the coat hanger by the front door to get his jacket. "Hey, why don't you go out to dinner with someone too?" he suggested helpfully. "That way you won't have to cook." Sasuke thought about it for moment and came to the conclusion that he wouldn't entirely hate having the company. And not having to cook anything was a major sales point. But who could he invite? Hinata's name was the first that came to mind. They stayed in contact through texting most of the time, but Sasuke preferred face-to-face interaction. He just hoped she didn't already have plans.

Itachi arrived right on schedule 27 minutes later. When he came to the door and greeted the two of them, Sasuke tried to convey to his brother through a glare that he better behave himself. Completely unaffected as usual, Itachi just smiled and suggested that he and Naruto get going. On their way out, Naruto kissed his boyfriend on the cheek and Sasuke wished them a good time at their dinner. After closing the door, Sasuke pulled out his cell phone and went through his contacts until he found Hinata's name. He pressed call before heading back into the kitchen and opening a bottom cupboard that held Keiko's food.

"H-hello…? Sasuke?" Sasuke shifted his phone onto his shoulder and used his shoulder and chin to keep it in place while pouring the cat food into Keiko's dish. "Hey Hinata. I hope you're not busy." Keiko came sprinting out of Sasuke's room a second later and raced into the kitchen for her supper. Sasuke smiled and patted her on the head before shoving her food back in the cupboard. "O-oh, no. Could you just give me a second? I'm watching a movie with my roommate," Hinata replied timidly. Sasuke could hear Hinata exchange a few quiet words with who he assumed to be her roommate before he heard shuffling and footsteps moving away from the other voice. "Okay, sorry about that."

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Sasuke said a little guiltily. Hinata giggled as she said, "Oh, don't worry about it. I hate horror movies anyway. And it was just getting to the gory part too, so really, I should be thanking you." Sasuke found himself smiling in response. "So what's up? Is everything alright?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you were free for dinner. Itachi stole my boyfriend for the night so I thought it might be nice to go out with a friend." After a pause Hinata asked in a curious voice, "your brother stole Naruto?" Sasuke smirked before taking a seat at the dining room table. "It's a long story."

"Maybe you could tell me at dinner…?" Hinata asked nervously, as if she wasn't sure the offer still stood. Sasuke could appreciate the girl's innocence. It made everything about her so much more genuine. "Absolutely. How about I pick you up at your dorm in 15 minutes?" Sasuke could practically hear the grin in her response."See you in a bit."

* * *

Itachi had taken Naruto to a nice restaurant, much nicer then Naruto was expecting, and he quickly felt self-conscious about his casual attire. After they were seated, Naruto had expected Itachi to start questioning him, but to the blonde's surprise, Itachi kept the conversation light and overall pleasant. It seemed the eldest Uchiha really _did_ just want to spend some time with him. They didn't really talk about anything of importance for the first half of their meal, but it was still a gratifying experience.

They were half way through dessert when Itachi casually asked around a mouthful of apple pie, "How are things between you and Sasuke?" Naruto knew he and Sasuke were better then ever so Itachi's harmless inquiry didn't phase him. And it showed in his response. "Things are great. Considering all the shit we went through in the beginning, it's kind of hard to believe we made it this far. But I sure as hell ain't complaining." A rare smile graced Itachi's lips as he took a sip of his coffee. "I wasn't worried." Naruto's eyebrows lifted, clearly interested in the Uchiha's admission. "Yeah?"

"It was different with you. Sasuke was different with you. I can't really explain it. Somehow I just knew everything would work out between you two." Naruto ducked his head, using his fork to toy with the last few pieces of chocolate cake on his plate. "You didn't even know me then."

"But I know my brother. And I know that once he let you in – that was it. You had him." Naruto felt himself flush from both embarrassment and unadulterated joy. Hearing that from _Itachi_ of all people – the one who had practically raised Sasuke by himself – the one who knew Sasuke better then anyone – was incredibly overwhelming and humbling and _holy shit_ Naruto was not emotionally prepared for this dinner.

"My brother is lucky to have you."

Naruto was sure he stopped functioning for a good 10 seconds, but he somehow managed to pull himself together long enough to take a casual approach to Itachi's words. "Nah, Sasuke deserves better then me." Naruto quickly took a long sip from his drink in hopes of washing away his anxiety, but Itachi seemed keen on complimenting him, no matter how much Naruto felt he didn't deserve it. "You really shouldn't sell yourself short. I'm an excellent judge of character." Naruto didn't miss the quick smirk on Itachi's lips. "And so is my brother. He made the right choice." Itachi was looking him straight in the eye as he said this and Naruto couldn't believe how stupid he had been for trying to avoid him! So much time had been wasted worrying over whether or not Itachi thought he was good enough for Sasuke. When all along, Itachi had more faith in him then Naruto ever thought was possible. A simple, "...thanks" wasn't nearly enough to show his level of gratitude, but the blonde said it, regardless.

Itachi once again could sense the blonde's discomfort, so he changed the subject to something he had been waiting to bring up all evening. "Well, since I am attempting to establish trust between the two of us, I would like to share something personal with you. Something that I haven't even told Sasuke yet."

Naruto's head perked up at this interesting tidbit. "Personal?" He couldn't imagine Itachi telling him a secret that not even his own brother knew about first.

Itachi smiled again, but it was softer than before, as if he was recalling something fondly in his memories. The expression clearly wasn't meant for the blonde."I've decided to ask my girlfriend to marry me," Itachi announced proudly. Naruto's eyes widened and Itachi chuckled at the child-like wonder in his voice. "Really?" The Uchiha nodded, "Konan and I have been together for many years now, and I want to take that next step with her." Naruto's good wishes came from a place of honest sincerity. "That's awesome! Congratulations!" Itachi smirked, placing his fork onto his plate to signal he had finished eating. "You're sentiments may be premature depending on her answer, but I appreciate it, all the same."

"Do you have any ideas on how you're going to ask?"

Itachi leaned back in his chair, comfortably resting his arms across his chest as he mused aloud, "Konan doesn't like being the centre of attention, so it'll probably be something simple and private. I'd prefer it that way, also. It's trying to put my true feelings into words that is troubling me."

Naruto could understand that. He had been known to put his foot in his mouth every now and then, too.

"What about you?" Lost in his own thoughts of every instance he had said or done something unfathomably stupid and embarrassing, Naruto was caught off guard by Itachi's question.

"What about me?"

"Do you have any plans on settling down with Sasuke in the future?" It took Naruto a second to process what he had said, and when he finally did his mouth opened and closed again – he was at a complete loss for words. Itachi looked as if he was trying to repress a chuckle, and Naruto realized the Uchiha was teasing him. "Don't worry, I'm just kidding," Itachi said as if to confirm what Naruto had been thinking. The blonde could have relaxed again if it wasn't for the mischievous twinkle in Itachi's eye that made Naruto believe maybe he wasn't 100% joking.

To avoid adding another entry in his mental 'stupid things I've said that got me into trouble' list, Naruto let out an awkward laugh and chugged the rest of his drink.

* * *

Sasuke picked up Hinata at her dorm as promised and after a minute or two of deliberation, they both agreed to try out a nice little diner in the centre of town. Neither one of them felt like conforming to the quid pro quo of a high-class restaurant, so they settled for a happy medium. The two put in their order before sliding into a booth near the back window, both on opposite sides for easier conversation. "I'm glad you invited me out," Hinata said quietly, removing her jacket and placing it nicely folded beside her. Sasuke looked over the table at her and found himself smiling as he said, "Me too." Hinata offered a quick nod before leaning her elbows on the table and resting her cheeks against her palms. "So, what's this about Naruto and your brother?" Sasuke sighed before leaning back in his seat. He found himself fiddling with the salt shaker on the table as he tried to explain the situation as best as he could. "Apparently, my brother is on a mission to bond with Naruto. And he chose tonight to do it."

Hinata blinked in confusion. "Do the two of them not get along?" She couldn't picture Naruto not getting along with anyone. "It's not that they don't get along… I just think it's hard for them to find some common ground. It's a weird situation." Hinata nodded, completely absorbed in what the Uchiha was telling her. "I want them to be friends. I want to share that part of my life with him…" Sasuke suddenly trailed off and his eyes quickly flicked up to meet Hinata's. He felt hesitant to continue – unsure about being so open with someone who wasn't his brother - but she smiled a reassuring smile and nodded as if to encourage him to keep going. Sasuke felt safe letting her know his true feelings. "For as long as I can remember, Itachi has been my entire world. But now I have Naruto to think about, too. They're the most important people in my life. I have to figure out how to balance them out."

"I get it," Hinata nodded sweetly, "It's only natural to want the people you love to get along. And they love you too, Sasuke. I'm sure they'll work it out somehow." Before Sasuke could say anything else, a woman came over and delivered their tray of food. Hinata once again started the conversation while the both of them unwrapped their burgers. "It's funny, isn't it?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow before taking a bite of his burger to show her he was listening. "We've been in the same book club for months, gone to the same college for a year… and yet somehow we're only now becoming friends." Hinata let out a giggle as Sasuke pondered her words. "I guess I have Naruto to thank for that," Sasuke said with a thoughtful expression. He would like to think that he would have approached Hinata of his own accord eventually – now that he knew what a kind and thoughtful person she was – but he knew that probably wouldn't have been the case. The old Sasuke found solace in his isolation. Naruto had changed that and even encouraged Sasuke to pursue Hinata – incidentally leading to Sasuke sitting here with someone he now considered to be a good friend. It never ceased to amaze him just how much the blonde had changed his life.

"C-can I ask you a question?" Hinata's hesitant voice broke Sasuke out of his thoughts and he nodded yet again. "When did you realize… Wh-when did you realize you had feelings for him?" Something in the way she asked lead Sasuke to believe that she wasn't asking just to carry on their conversation. Her cheeks tinted a light pink and that was all the evidence Sasuke needed to determine Kiba's involvement in their current topic.

The Uchiha had already made himself emotionally vulnerable. He didn't see the point in clamming up now.

"I guess it was the little things," Sasuke said, popping a French fry into his mouth. "He was always there for me, you know? Even when I didn't want him to be, even when I treated him terribly, he saw something in me that he decided was worth fighting for." Hinata's smile mirrored Sasuke's own reminiscent curve of the lips. "He never gave up on me." That's what it all came down to for Sasuke. Not falling in love with Naruto was never an option. He just didn't know it at the time.

Hinata seemed to be genuinely fascinated by his words, and Sasuke could practically see the wheels turning in her head trying to compare the Uchiha's relationship to her own relationship with Kiba. Sasuke was hardly one to take an interest, let alone want to talk about someone else's love life, but he wanted to try and take an interest in Hinata's interest. Even if her interest was that problematic brunette. "How are things going between you and Kiba?" Hinata's eyes widened and her blush deepened in colour. Clearly, she hadn't expected Sasuke to turn the tables on her.

"O-oh, g-good. I-I mean it's okay. We-we've hung out a few times but…" Hinata suddenly looked down at her lap and started fiddling with the hem of her shirt. The action was somehow sad and Sasuke found himself frowning. "I don't really think anything will come of it… I think he sees me as just a friend…" Sasuke felt for the girl. He knew what it was like to have unrequited feelings for someone. It sucked. But in this case, Sasuke was almost certain she had it all wrong. Naruto had never come outright and said that his best friend was in love with Hinata, but from what Sasuke's heard it was pretty obvious Kiba was interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with her. He didn't want to butt into their business, but he didn't see any harm in offering a little encouragement. "Take it from someone who has been there. If you want something, go after it. Don't let it slip through your fingers. You might just wind up happier then you've ever been."

The truth of his own words struck a chord in Sasuke. A silent understanding passed between the two of them, and Sasuke hoped that Hinata would heed his advice. She deserved to be happy too.

* * *

Sasuke and Hinata stopped for ice-cream on the way home, so the Uchiha wasn't surprised when he found Naruto waiting for him on the couch in their apartment. Naruto greeted him with a warm smile as he asked, "Have fun?" The Uchiha nodded and returned the question while shrugging off his coat. "You?" Naruto's lips twitched as if he was trying to hide a secret from him. The blonde didn't immediately burst into tears so Sasuke assumed it wasn't as bad as they had originally thought. "Did you behave yourself?" Sasuke asked as he plopped down on the couch next to his boyfriend. Naruto pulled one leg up onto the cushions making it easier to turn and face him. "Don't I always?" he asked with a cheeky grin before propping his head up with his hand, elbow resting on the back of the couch. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Did Itachi behave himself?"

"Why? You gonna beat him up for me?"

"Probably not." The two exchanged smiles before Naruto thoughtfully stared up at the ceiling. "He was fine. A little intense, but polite as all hell." Sasuke couldn't help but smirk. _Yup. That pretty much describes Itachi Uchiha._ "There was one thing though." The crease between the blonde's eyebrows immediately caught Sasuke's attention and had him on red alert. "What is it...?" Maybe he would have to beat up Itachi after all.

Naruto didn't want to break this new found trust he had with the eldest Uchiha, so he decided to leave out the part about Itachi getting engaged and went straight to the point, if only to watch the Uchiha sputter. "I think your brother wants to marry us."

Naruto wasn't disappointed when Sasuke opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again to let out a huff before angrily running out of the room to call his brother.

All in all, it was a good night.

* * *

 **I'm glad to see Sasuke getting along with Hinata. I really like writing about their friendship. Itachi is still the greatest person ever. This is fact. He'll love anyone Sasuke loves. What a good brother! *swoon* And will this be the last talk of marriage we hear regarding our two lovebirds? You'll just have to wait and see! ;D**

 **Thanks so much for reading guys! Reviews are always welcomed and greatly appreciated. I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	10. How To Adult

**Laura: I am very sorry for how long it has taken me to get this posted. The whole point of this chapter was to finally let you know how Naruto has been paying for the apartment and everything else he needs to survive. I knew I wanted to write about his job, but once I got that out of the way I had no idea where to go with the rest of the chapter. Thus, the porn. This is what happens when you run out of ideas and need to fill up space. :P**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss.**

 **(AN: I'm so sorry for all these upload mistakes. This is what happens when you try to post your story on multiple sites D:)**

* * *

Sasuke was standing in the kitchen on the phone with his brother when Naruto quietly snuck up behind him and grabbed him around the middle. Sasuke flinched but otherwise managed to keep his surprise in check. He feebly attempted to push the blonde off, but Naruto only clung to him tighter and nuzzled his face into the curve of Sasuke's neck. For the moment, Sasuke attempted to ignore his boyfriend and focus on his brother's words coming through the speaker.

"Konan said she'd like to have a small ceremony but wants to go all out for the reception. I have to admit, my invitation list is embarrassingly short compared to hers, but as long as everyone's having a good time I suppose it doesn't matter how many people I invite."

News of Itachi's engagement spread quickly, and when the eldest Uchiha finally spilled the beans to his little brother over dinner one night at the apartment, Sasuke couldn't say he was shocked to hear that Konan said yes. Naruto had no reaction other than smugly digging into his dinner and aiming a few glances in Itachi's direction. He had known for awhile that Konan was 'it' for Itachi and he honestly couldn't fathom why his brother hadn't asked sooner. He had a stable job, his own piece of property, and was pretty much the most 'put together' person Sasuke had ever met. There wasn't anything holding him back.

They worked so well together – not just as friends, but as partners. Sasuke never mentioned this to either one of them, but every now and then the thought would cross his mind how _thankful_ he was that his brother found someone to take care of him and visa versa. Sasuke would always be there for his brother no matter what, but there was only so much as a family member he could give him. Konan provided the rest, and Sasuke was truly happy for both of them. He already considered Konan part of the family. Nothing would change, not really.

"If all you have to worry about is a guest list, then I think you're getting off easy. We both know that between the two us, we don't the first thing about planning a wedding."

Sasuke tried again to shrug Naruto off of him to no avail. He could feel the smile on the blonde's lips pressing into his shoulder. The moron knew he was driving Sasuke crazy and he loved it. Naruto knew he would never get away with this kind of behaviour out in public, so he took advantage of Sasuke's leniency behind closed door. That's not to say Sasuke didn't find it frustrating when he was trying to complete a task and Naruto was purposefully trying to distract him. Truthfully, he was more frustrated that he found the blonde to be a distraction at all. One he simply could not ignore.

Despite his best efforts, Sasuke found his mind starting to wander from wedding plans to something else. Something that was vastly inappropriate to be thinking about while on the phone with his brother. Something he blamed entirely on the warm body pressed up against him. And something he could admit to himself that he would _much_ rather be doing than talking on the phone.

"Sasuke? You still there?"

Sasuke felt his entire face heat up in embarrassment. Naruto had started lightly stroking his hand up and down Sasuke's back, and while enjoying the touch a little _too_ much, Sasuke had completely zoned out from the conversation. "S-sorry. I just, uh, dropped something." _Like my pride._ Naruto huffed out a silent laugh and Sasuke had great difficulty fighting off the urge to elbow him in the ribs.

Itachi sighed on the other end of the line before repeating himself, "The bachelor party. I don't expect anything from you. Being my best man is enough. I don't really want anything crazy anyway. Maybe just a few drinks at a nice bar." Sasuke nodded continuously as if that would somehow help keep him focused. "I told Konan the same thing yesterday. She told me to stop being a wet blanket and go to a strip club."

"That's your future wife," Sasuke chuckled wobbly. "That's my future wife," Itachi agreed boastfully.

Meanwhile, Naruto had been biting his tongue in a display of great restraint on his part. He was quickly losing his patience however, and wished Sasuke would just give in already and hang up. He wasn't bold enough to trying anything while Sasuke was on the phone with Itachi. The blonde would never be able to look the eldest Uchiha in the face again if he caught on. He _was_ apparently bold enough blow into Sasuke's ear, and he grinned triumphantly when Sasuke let out a long sigh of resignation. "Itachi, would you mind if I called you back? I have to deal with a certain _someone_." Sasuke could tell his brother knew exactly who he was talking about through his smirking reply, "Of course. Say hello to Naruto for me."

Sasuke clicked the end call button and took a few awkward steps to hang up the phone while Naruto's body moved with him like a shadow. "I think we need to establish some boundaries while on the phone," Sasuke said flippantly before reaching a blind hand behind him to graze his fingers through blond hair. Naruto hummed appreciably and leaned into the touch. For someone who held such a vendetta against their cat, Naruto sure acted like her. Wasn't a hum equivalent to a cat's purr? "Seriously, what's going on with you today? First, you wouldn't let me get out of bed this morning," soft lips grazed against his pulse point.

"You weren't late for class."

" _Then_ , you tried to grope me in the car _while I was driving,"_ warm fingers slipped under the hem of his shirt, teasing him just below the bellybutton.

"The light was red."

Sasuke slowly inhaled through his nose and found his body leaning back into Naruto's hold on its own accord. "Now you're telling me I can't even have a conversation on the phone without you attacking me?"

The blonde chuckled, his breath sending goose bumps across Sasuke's neck, "You do have hands that are more than capable of pushing me away. But I really hope you don't." After looking to the ceiling and trying to find the strength to resist this man, but inevitably finding none, Sasuke turned around in Naruto's arms and smirked at his boyfriend. "Doesn't your shift start soon? Do we really have time to-" Naruto interrupted him with a quick peck on the lips, "To what?" he asked cheekily, knowing damn well what he was after and that Sasuke was at least receptive to the idea.

"To act like a clingy toddler," Sasuke finished before manoeuvring himself out of Naruto's arms and walking into the kitchen for a glass of water. The blonde followed close behind, not blind to the fact that Sasuke kept side eyeing his movements. "I'm a man. I have needs," Naruto leaned on the counter opposite to where Sasuke was standing in front of the island, "Do you have a problem with it?"

Sasuke took a loud sip from his cup.

Naruto grinned widely as he zeroed in on Sasuke's personal space, pushing the Uchiha backwards until his lower back bumped into the island. After placing his cup on the counter top, Sasuke met the blonde half way and sealed their lips together in a kiss. Things quickly became heated as tongues twirled together and Naruto pressed his hips against Sasuke's groin, gently rolling himself against the other man at a maddeningly slow pace. The Uchiha could feel himself getting more turned on with each stroke of the blonde's firm body rolling into his.

Sasuke's hands moved upward, tangling into thick, blonde locks in an attempt to pull Naruto closer until his back was awkwardly arched against the granite counter top and Naruto was bending over him. A soft chuckle escaped from the blonde's lips when Sasuke's hands blindly unbuckled his boyfriend's belt. "So you'll do it in the kitchen but the shower is off limits." Sasuke exhaled through his nose before stretching his neck out to the side so Naruto could plant hot, opened mouth kisses there. "You have no regard for my safety, do you?" he lightly panted, savouring the feeling of Naruto's lips brushing against his skin.

Sasuke could feel the smile on the blonde's face against his collar bone, "I would, if there was any blood going to my head right now." Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Charming."

Their playful back and forth was quickly silenced by the growing arousal between them. Naruto captured Sasuke's lips in another powerful kiss before helping his boyfriend pull his pants and undergarments down around his thighs. "Turn around," Naruto whispered hotly into Sasuke's ear. The Uchiha shuddered with anticipation and spun around without complaint. Naruto told him to bend over and rest his arms on the counter. Sasuke did so and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible, seeing as how his pelvis was almost level with the hard granite.

Naruto considered for a moment whether or not to get a condom and save themselves the clean up, but he figured neither one of them had the patience to wait for him to rummage around in his bedroom and find one. His theory was proven right when Sasuke started to squirm and push back against him.

Naruto had learned from the very beginning of their sexual relationship that Sasuke preferred face-to-face interaction in the bedroom. Their first time sleeping together, Naruto had suggested they do it from behind, deciding it would probably be easier for the both of them to manage. Sasuke agreed without complaint, but he struggled to touch the blonde even with Naruto glued tightly to his back. It wasn't that Sasuke didn't enjoy the position, he just preferred having the freedom to touch and grab wherever he pleased. That was difficult to accomplish with his face buried in a pillow.

Truthfully, Naruto thought it was cute how needy his boyfriend became when they made love. It fit his controlling personality, and Naruto liked to think since Sasuke's sexual experience before they met was limited, that somehow he was special to receive all this attention. He had no preference either way. As long as it was Sasuke in his arms, nothing else mattered to him.

Naruto used his own spit to lube up a couple of his fingers before sliding a wet trail between Sasuke's thighs. The Uchiha jumped when the first slick digit made contact and gently probed his entrance. He was tight, and Naruto worried that they were going to need extra lubrication after all. Sensing his boyfriend's hesitance to continue, Sasuke found the courage to speak and voiced his encouragement. "Come on. Hurry."

"Are you sure?"

The Uchiha offered a few frantic nods in response, and after a few more seconds of deliberation, Naruto slid in the first finger. His muscles clenched hotly around Naruto's finger as he gently started thrusting into him. Sasuke exhaled deeply through his nose and tried to spread his legs a little farther apart for easier access. Naruto soothed him through the process by pushing up his shirt and leaving a trail of kisses up his back. Sasuke shivered when teeth lightly grazed over his shoulder blade, and Naruto used this method of distraction while pushing in a second finger.

The stretch sent a pain shooting up Sasuke's spine and he gripped at the sides of the counter to keep himself steady. Naruto slowed his movements allowing Sasuke time to adjust before plunging deeper and searching for that sensitive spot. Sasuke could feel Naruto's matching rapid heartbeat thumping against his back as he leaned over him.

A barely audible wet sound coming from where they were connected, mixed in with the sound of their heavy breathing, and it was then that Sasuke became aware of how _erotic_ this situation truly was. He was bent over the island in their kitchen for Christ sake. This wasn't something Sasuke had ever pictured allowing to happen to him. He didn't think he would be okay with something as undignified as _this_. He never thought he would like sex period, but Naruto's touch had the ability to melt his pride and any reservations he might have had about physical intimacy. They were so _comfortable_ with each other. Sasuke didn't know when it started, but sex came so easy to them now. Naruto was so attuned to his body, knowing which buttons to press and when to press them. It made the experience fun and more intimate, no longer having to worry about trivial things that Sasuke once let repress him.

He trusted Naruto unconditionally. With his heart, and his body.

Naruto curled his fingers and brushed up against his prostate, pulling a breathy moan from the Uchiha's mouth. Sasuke could feel Naruto's own arousal pressing into the back of his thigh, hot and warm through the fabric of his jeans. The blonde found him desirable, that much was clear. Sasuke would be lying if he said he wasn't pleased by this fact. The knowledge that Naruto would always want him sent a warmth through his chest and muddled up his head with a sweetness far too great to describe.

When a third finger was added to the mix of sensations, the stinging of pain faded into a dull numbness. Naruto scissored his fingers, stretching him out until the Uchiha faintly started to rock his hips backwards, silently asking for more. Naruto was happy to oblige and slid his fingers out with a slick sound before unfastening his jeans and pushing them down just far enough to expose his straining erection. The few seconds Sasuke was left empty while Naruto prepared himself were complete agony. He was so worked up now, his entire lower body was aching to be touched and filled again. For Naruto to be inside him.

The blonde wet himself the same he had done for Sasuke before lining himself up and slowly sinking into Sasuke's tight heat. A noise closer to a whine rumbled in Sasuke's throat as he crossed his arms over the counter and rested his head on top of them. Naruto watched this action and vaguely wondered if it was because his boyfriend didn't know what to do with his free hands. After allowing the Uchiha a few beats to adjust, Naruto held Sasuke's hips and started to move inside of him. Slowly but surely, the resistance gave way and pleasure began to creep its way into Sasuke's lower regions.

Naruto leaned over him again and began lightly panting into his ear, contributing to the overall heat and intimacy of the moment. Sasuke wanted to reach down to his neglected dick and help himself along to completion, but he was afraid of losing his balance. His legs were already unstable. If Naruto suddenly let go of him, he'd probably go tumbling to the floor. "Naruto- I can't, ahh... c-can't reach..." After adjusting his angle, Naruto reached his arm around Sasuke and firmly grasped his dick, stroking him in time with each of his thrusts. The more Sasuke rocked back against him and continued to let out little moans of pleasure, the more fired up the blonde became. The pace quickened, and both men could feel themselves moving closer to the edge.

Sasuke came first, biting his lip hard and shuddering as Naruto stroked him through his orgasm while continuing to pound into his prostate from behind. The high lagged on until Naruto's hips lost their rhythm and stuttered to a halt inside of him. Sasuke wasn't thrilled about the clean up (he couldn't bear to look at the floor, or the counter for that matter) but when fingers gently rubbed through the hair at the back of his head, and Naruto kissed him lovingly on the shoulder, he decided that he really didn't care _too_ much.

"I can't believe... I have to take... another shower now..." Sasuke muttered still in the process of catching his breath. Naruto laughed weakly as he carefully pulled out of his boyfriend, "I'd ask to join you, but I really should head out soon." With a slight wobble in his movements, Sasuke turned himself around and immediately pulled the blonde in for an unrushed, lazy kiss. Naruto sighed happily, desperately wishing he didn't have other places to be, before the two reluctantly pulled away. The Uchiha's cheeks were flushed and he had a mischievous glint in his eye. His lips were also threatening to twitch into a smirk. It was a look Naruto was always curious to see because it usually meant he had something clever to say. The blonde quickly realised he was right when Sasuke told him, "I guess you could call it a hit and run."

Naruto snorted in the most unattractive way possible, but that only made Sasuke's smirk widen. "Was that supposed to be a dirty joke? Did you just make a dirty joke?" Naruto asked through his laughter. Sasuke shrugged a shoulder, feigning coy. "Maybe. If it was, you're to blame." Naruto grinned and stole another kiss.

So what if he was a little late? Honestly, the blonde couldn't think of a better excuse.

* * *

Most people would consider Naruto lucky. With so many god-awful jobs out there, working at a bowling alley seemed like one of the less terrible ones. It may not offer the best pay, but it was enough to keep him going week to week and the hours were flexible. Naruto was in charge of the snack bar, giving the customers their shoes, and running the cash register, which all made sense for his character. He had always been a people person, so dealing with costumers wasn't a big issue for him. Yes, sometimes people got on his nerves like everyone else, but their demographic mostly consisted of people just looking for a good time. There wasn't a lot to be pissed off about at a bowling ally. As long as they were friendly, Naruto was more than happy to return the favour.

A lot of the people that came in were regulars or at least regular enough to greet him by his first name. Naruto enjoyed the casual atmosphere that came with the job. He didn't feel pressured to impress anyone. People walked in, he greeted them, handed them their shoes and that was it. For the most part it was parents with their kids or ever so often a group of teenagers looking for some friendly competition.

The only time things got a little rowdy was when someone rented out half of the building for a birthday party. The manager had strict rules against alcohol being brought into what was supposed to be a family establishment. However, that didn't stop the more bold customers from sneaking it in anyway. Naruto had his fair share of drunken altercations that ended with someone getting kicked out. Most people would probably consider this a nuisance, but there was a part of Naruto that secretly looked forward to it. Admittedly, his job could be dreadfully boring at times, so a little excitement went a long way.

Finding his first job had been a pretty traumatic experience. Maybe Naruto was overreacting—his mother often mocked him for being a big baby—but it wasn't something he was looking forward to repeating in the future. It wasn't until after Naruto had moved in to the apartment with Sasuke that the severity of his financial income became apparent. The problem? He had no financial income. The desperation to keep a roof over his head forced Naruto to finally take matters into his own hands and start applying to local businesses. He printed out a resume, however empty, and whored himself out in interviews pretending to be something he wasn't. But no matter how charming and 'presentable' he appeared, no one wanted to hire him.

On a fluke during one of their many outings, Naruto and a group of his friends had drove past a large sign that read "Three Strikes Bowling Alley" in wild, fluorescent letters. Naruto had a decent handle on the game and decided to test his skills by challenging the others to a couple of rounds. He kicked their asses, which only added fuel to his already inflated ego, but according to his boss, it wasn't Naruto's knowledge of the game that won him the job. It was the blonde's energy that caught the owner's eye. Naruto walked in the building and he just exuded approach-ability. The manager chatted him up and Naruto was kind enough to play along, completely unaware of any ulterior motives. The business wasn't exactly desperate for employees at that time, (that's not to say they couldn't always use an extra pair of hands) but the manager was adamant in his recruit of the blonde. When the job was inevitably offered by such a friendly face, Naruto jumped on the opportunity and that was the end of it.

It was a particularly quiet Friday evening when what Naruto assumed to be a mother and her two sons came in for a game. The woman was probably in her mid 30's with long brown hair and matching dark eyes. Her lips were pulled together in a tight frown as her boys, looking no older than eight and nine ran around her feet, pushing and pulling each other in a game of tag. Sensing an oncoming unpleasant exchange from a mother overwhelmed by two, young energetic boys, Naruto obediently plastered a welcoming smile on his face as the woman approached the counter.

"Good evening, Ma'am. Can I set you up with a game for three?"

The woman's eyes widened a fraction before shifting her posture to lean up against the counter. She flipped her long hair over her shoulders and attempted to return the blonde's smile, though considerably more strained than Naruto's. The two boys drifted away from their mother's side, now reeking havoc near the old gaming machines kept in the back of the building. For a moment, Naruto considered letting the woman know they had wandered off, but he figured as long as he didn't hear the sound of something breaking, they couldn't do much harm.

"I think that'll do it. I just needed a break—something to distract them with for a little while longer. Movies only last so long, you know?"

Naruto offered a polite chuckle as the woman slid a couple bills across the counter. "I understand. I'll put you at lane two. Would you like the bumpers up?" The woman made a show of letting out a wistful sigh and looking up at the ceiling in deep thought. "Hm, I suppose that may be easier for them, if it's not too much trouble for you." Naruto shook his head, handing the woman back her change. "No trouble at all. In fact, you're the first of the night. Been pretty dull around here."

"Well, the night is still young."

It was hard to miss the hint of innuendo in her tone. Naruto decided he wasn't going to engage and quickly spun around to face the cubby wall filled with bowling shoes. "So, what sizes can I get you?"

"Well I'm definitely a seven. The boys will have to try a few different— BOYS! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" Naruto cringed when the woman finally noticed her missing sons and screamed at them. He kept his back towards the flustered woman and quickly picked out her shoes. When he turned back around, the two boys were standing guiltily by their mother's side. "How many times have I told you not to run off?!" she whisper-yelled down at them before straightening her posture and smiling brightly when she noticed the blonde's eyes on her. "Kids," the woman rolled her eyes dismissively in a poor attempt to cover up her irritation. "If its not one thing its another."

Nodding once, Naruto quickly helped the boys find the right shoe size and politely hurried the family off to the second lane. The woman looked a little deflated by Naruto's lack of interest and heaved a sigh before joining her kids in a game. Naruto walked back behind the counter and grabbed a seat on the stool he had brought back there for comfort. He watched the family for a minute or two until the woman caught him staring and waved her fingers in a flirtatious manner, which immediately led to Naruto averting his gaze and busying himself with something else.

Naruto was never thrilled when someone other than his significant other showed an interest in him, but it didn't make him nearly as uncomfortable as it did his boyfriend, who more often than not ignored said 'flirt-er' or ran from the situation all together. It was different when Naruto was single, obviously. Sometimes it felt good to be admired, desired, or just be the centre of attention for awhile. In his teenage years, Naruto craved this kind of attention from just about anyone. He always considered himself lucky that anyone would take an interest in him at all. He didn't date copious amounts of woman in high school, but there were enough for him to realize how easily swayed his way of thinking could be because of another person.

As soon as the relationship was made explicit, Naruto only had eyes for one person and one person only. Being approached by a potential suitor became bothersome and perhaps a little nerve-wracking depending on how hard they pushed. It all came down to loyalty, and even when the blonde knew he was completely innocent in the situation, a small part of him still felt guilty by association.

Nowadays, people in his life and at school knew he was in a committed relationship with Sasuke, and if they were interested they just didn't bother. Naruto was by no means quiet about his affection towards the Uchiha and sometimes he played it up on purpose just to get the message across. He doubted there were crowds of people looking to get into his pants, but still, it made him feel more secure in the relationship not having to worry about any third party troublemakers.

A part of him wanted to flat-out announce to the woman that he was already taken and that would be the end of it. If he wasn't at work, this would be his usual solution. But because he had to be polite and professional, Naruto bit his tongue and let the woman have her fun. She'd get the hint eventually.

Not two minutes later, Naruto heard his cell phone vibrate next to the cash register, alerting him to an incoming text. Happy for the distraction, Naruto scooped up his phone and chuckled as Sasuke's name appeared on the screen. _Perfect timing,_ Naruto thought to himself before reading the message.

 **Sasuke: Hey. How's your shift going?**

Not wasting any time to respond, Naruto quickly typed out a response he thought might get a rise out of him. He was starting to get bored and teasing Sasuke was one of his favourite pastimes. Plus, he knew Sasuke would give it back to him just as good. They were evenly matched in that department.

 **Naruto: No hiccups so far. Although, a single mother with her two kids DID hit on me just now. Well, I'm assuming she's single. I think you should defend my honour by challenging her to a dual.**

 **Sasuke: Unless she grabbed your genitals, I really don't think it's any of my concern.**

Not at all disappointed by Sasuke's rebuttal, Naruto ignored the two young voices arguing over which ball was which (they both picked blue, of course) and a mother trying to keep the peace, in favour of keeping the gag going between them. Although, at this particular moment, it was hard to even joke about anyone else in a sexual manner after the afternoon they had shared together. But he knew it would at least amuse Sasuke, and that was enough to push him to take the joke a little further.

 **Naruto: I don't know Sasuke. She was quite the MILF.**

There wasn't an immediate reply, leading the blonde to believe that Sasuke had to think hard about what to say next. When his phone eventually buzzed and he read the message, Naruto snorted so loud he instinctively looked up to see if the family had heard him. They hadn't.

 **Sasuke: First of all, that acronym is truly nauseating. And second of all, if she's so 'fuckable' maybe you should be dating HER instead.**

 **Naruto: As much as I would love to be in a relationship with a woman and her two devil spawns, I wouldn't want to lose the catch I already have. Besides, you're pretty fuckable yourself. ;)**

Naruto knew he was being just plain cheeky at this point, and the winky emoticon would surely only add fuel to the fire. He could picture Sasuke losing his cool for only a moment while remembering their exploration of the kitchen counter only hours earlier, before furiously trying to regain the upper hand. Naruto knew sometimes he could be a little _too_ honest, and more often than not it would throw Sasuke off balance.

As predicted, the Uchiha was quick to recover.

 **Sasuke: Don't objectify me. I'm more than just a pretty face you know.**

Naruto could have dragged it out – said a bunch of naughty things he knew would send Sasuke up the wall – but instead he saved his boyfriend the humiliation and took the conversation in a different direction.

 **Naruto: And me?**

 **Sasuke: You? You're DEFINITELY just a pretty face.**

 **Naruto: I'm good with that. As long as you keep calling me pretty.**

 **Sasuke: Uh huh. Get back to work before you get fired. I'll leave a plate for you in the fridge.**

Naruto was distracted from showing his appreciation when the woman from before walked up to the counter with a look that clearly expressed she wanted the blonde's attention. Naruto was decent enough, of course, to put his phone down and look at the woman without a trace of impatience. "Sorry to bother you again, but I think there's something wrong with the machine that stacks the pins. It was taking a super long time in the beginning and now it won't move at all."

Naruto internally cursed at the piece of machinery before offering a sincere apology. "Sorry about that. Sometimes they get stuck. Usually a good kick will un-stick 'em. I'll take a look." It wasn't the first time a malfunction had occurred, and lane two in particular had been causing problems the last couple of weeks. The boss had called a mechanic scheduled to come in next week. Naruto had simply forgotten, and knowing his limited knowledge in this particular department, he added with a small shrug, "I can always move you to another lane if all else fails."

Naruto rounded the counter and walked the short distance to the only occupied lane. He could sense the woman following closely behind him, perhaps still hanging on to the possibility of enticing the blonde. Naruto was sure that if he stopped abruptly, they're be a collision between the two of them.

Needless to say, Naruto wanted to fix the damn machine as soon as possible so the family could finish their game and get the hell out of the building.

The young boys gave him the stink eye as he passed by them despite his friendly smile, and Naruto gave up entirely on pleasing the family with an insouciant droop in his shoulders before opening the door leading into the back of the building. It only took him a minute or two to pop back into view at the end of the lane behind the pins. The arms indeed did appear to be stuck mid-reset. Jumping down onto the small platform created specifically for this kind of repair, Naruto started fiddling with arms and really did give it a few kicks for good measure.

There was some kind of commotion at the other end of the lane that started with one brother yelling at the other and than an echoing thump followed by muffled giggling. The blonde assumed one brother had pushed the other and landed himself a spot on the ground, hence the giggling. He didn't give it a second thought as he jiggled the machinery in one last attempt to fix it. An audible gasp and desperate shout of, "WATCH OUT!" came too late, and by the time Naruto looked up, that _damn blue ball_ was already tipping off the end of the lane and landed directly on Naruto's left foot.

The words that came out of Naruto's mouth were censored by the woman placing her hands over the youngest son's ears. The eldest just smirked as Naruto bounced around clutching his throbbing foot.

Little fucker.

* * *

In a rare moment of having nothing that needed his immediate attention, Sasuke was sprawled out on the couch on his side with Keiko curled up next to his chest and the TV on. He wasn't really paying attention to what was on the screen, as he was playing some mind-numbing app he had downloaded into his phone the previous day. The sound of the front door unlocking was enough to drag the Uchiha's attention away from his game.

Naruto was early.

Sasuke reflexively offered a half smile when Naruto shuffled himself inside. "Hey, did your shift end early?" Naruto grimaced as if he was offended by the very question, "Something like that..." he mumbled evasively while taking a step or two towards the couch. It was enough movement for Sasuke to notice the blonde was favouring his left foot. "Are you limping?"

Again, Naruto made a face as he told the Uchiha, "Pain just seems to follow me around at this point. I blame- I blame everything, actually. Especially those goddamn kids!" Completely lost to what his boyfriend was going on about, Sasuke moved his legs so the blonde could join him on the couch and asked a little exasperatedly, "What was it this time, Naruto?"

As Naruto explained his shitty night, Sasuke sat and listened to every word with a sort of lighthearted sympathy for what his boyfriend had been through. Maybe Naruto being injured and Sasuke treating said injury would turn out to be their 'thing'. Naruto would venhemently disagree with this, but in the end, it wasn't really up to him. Fate had deemed him an accident waiting to happen and it _kept happening_.

That little fucker!

* * *

 **Laura: Thank you so much for reading and continuing to stick with me. If all goes according to plan, there should be two more chapters coming your way before I'm closing the book on the Finding a Balance Series for good. I'm not going to drag it out any longer than is absolutely necessary. Gotta spread my wings and fly eventually right? :D** **As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	11. System Reboot: Part 1

***SCREAMS INTO THE VOID UNTIL I'M HOARSE WITH RAGE***  
 **It took three hours of frantic uninterrupted writing and a large glass of champagne to finally get this done. I don't even know what to say anymore. This is a two part chapter and I'm posting them both together because I would be a total asshole if I didn't. Please enjoy guys. I'm truly sorry for the wait.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss.**

* * *

On a Monday night Sasuke came home with a bag of take out in his hands―Naruto had completely ruined his healthy eating habits―only to find that Naruto was no longer waiting for him in the living room or the kitchen. In fact, it was Keiko who greeted him at the door, weaving in and out between his feet which wasn't uncommon, but she was moving more erratically than usual and letting out little half-mews in quick succession. It was completely different from her normal howls for attention when Sasuke's mind was elsewhere.

The Uchiha bent down and stroked the cat's head but she ducked away from his touch, something that _never_ happened, not even the first day he got her. "What's wrong girl?" Keiko stared right up at him with her tail whipping almost anxiously behind her. "What's got you so spooked? Naruto!" Sasuke called out to his boyfriend fully expecting an answer because his car was still in the parking lot, but the only reaction he received was from Keiko. She suddenly turned and took a few steps away from him, only to turn back and rub against his leg again, almost like she wanted him to follow her.

Sasuke decided to trust his instincts and took a few deliberate steps away from the door, following Keiko's previous movements. Keiko mewed again, louder this time, and practically walked on his feet as Sasuke made his way into the hall leading to their bedrooms. To Sasuke's surprise, he found his boyfriend lying flat on his back in the middle of the hall, his arms only able to spread out about half the way before hitting the walls, eyes glued to the ceiling above him. "Naruto?" Sasuke called to him, confusion clear in his tone and expression.

"Hey, Sasuke. Welcome back."

Naruto sounded _off,_ and as if she had realized this, Keiko marched past Sasuke's feet and started nervously pacing around Naruto's head. The blond lifted his arm and patted her head, but the movement was sloppy and the gesture totally empty of any actual affection. It was no secret that Naruto hadn't warmed up to their cat as easily as Sasuke had, but in the last couple of months things seemed to have calmed down between them. If anything, Naruto was more determined than ever to make Keiko like him. This wasn't normal behaviour for him either.

Keiko looked up at Sasuke again as if trying to say _you need to do something about this_. The Uchiha took a step towards his boyfriend and asked, "Why are you on the floor?" Naruto continued to stare up at the ceiling like Sasuke wasn't even there, but he answered him all the same. "I'm not really sure." It was a spacey response, like he wasn't really listening to Sasuke, like he was on auto-pilot or something.

Naruto was definitely acting strange. It was a complete contrast to his behaviour before Sasuke had left to pick up their dinner. It was the glassy look in his eyes that made Sasuke's muscles tense in his back, wondering if perhaps his boyfriend had over done it on the drink and was heading for a repeat of that night that seemed like a lifetime ago.

A quick glance in the kitchen produced no signs of empty bottles or glasses, but that was only a partial comfort. Something was still obviously very wrong and Sasuke needed to find out what it was. He decided to start with the basics. "Are you sick?"

Naruto answered surprisingly quickly for someone who seemed so disconnected from what was going on around him. "I don't think so," he replied. Setting down the take-out bag on the floor, Sasuke quietly approached his boyfriend, scooted Keiko out of his way, and sat down beside Naruto on the floor, cross legged. The space was a little cramped, but that was the least of Sasuke's concerns. "Tell me what happened."

Naruto finally showed the hint of a reaction, his eyebrows creasing ever so slightly as he seemed to struggle with answering the question. "One of my professors called. He reamed me out for skipping some of my classes."

"You've been skipping class?" This caught Sasuke completely off guard. He and Naruto usually left around the same time in the morning. It had never crossed his mind that Naruto might not be going to classes despite being on campus. The blond hadn't let on that anything was wrong. Or maybe he did and Sasuke didn't notice. It just didn't make sense.

Naruto had been reluctantly open about his issues with his current educational plan. They hardly ever talked about it, but Sasuke had at least a minimal understanding of how his boyfriend felt, and even still it seemed out of character for Naruto to be so irresponsible. Sasuke would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed in Naruto's choice to run away. But he was more disappointed that Naruto felt the need to keep it a secret from him.

"He gave me an ultimatum. Told me to get my shit together or drop out. After he hung up I just…lost my mind." As Naruto explained this to him Sasuke tried to remind himself that the most important thing right now was Naruto's physical and mental health. Even though he was frustrated that Naruto had been keeping secrets from him, he knew all of that would have to wait until later.

"What exactly happened?" Sasuke pressed him for more information sounding much calmer than he actually felt.

"My chest felt tight and my legs were shaky," Naruto provided. "I guess I fell." Naruto frowned deeply as he was undoubtedly disturbed by the memory of his body giving out on him. Sasuke had the same basic medical knowledge as anybody, but hearing that Naruto had basically collapsed was understandably just as alarming as it was upsetting. He doubted Naruto could be suffering from something as severe as a heart attack.

Based on the information he had been given, Sasuke wondered if Naruto had gotten so overwhelmed about school that his anxieties skyrocketed and completely caught him off guard. Despite outward appearances, Sasuke knew Naruto could get pretty worked up about certain things, but Sasuke never expected to see him down and out for the count like this. He didn't know things were this bad.

Sasuke carefully manoeuvred them so he could rest Naruto's head in his lap while checking for a fever with a hand to his forehead, just in case. "Naruto, have you ever had a panic attack before?" It seemed like the most logical assessment, but Naruto shook his head.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Giving his boyfriend a once over, Sasuke saw no external signs of distress. Maybe he was a bit paler than usual, but he was breathing normally and moving around more naturally compared to his zombie like state when Sasuke had first stumbled upon him. The Uchiha decided to go with his gut and not take Naruto to the hospital. As long as the blond continued to answer his questions coherently, Sasuke figured he could handle it on his own and save them both the trip.

"Come on," Sasuke said before giving Naruto's arm a slight tug. "Let's get you off the floor and into bed."

"That would be nice."

Sasuke helped Naruto up to his feet and kept a protective hand on the blond's back as he escorted them into Naruto's bedroom, which just so happened to be the closer of the two. Once Naruto was situated comfortably on the bed leaning against the headboard, Sasuke left the room to grab his boyfriend a cup of water before coming back in and setting it on the bedside table.

Sasuke sat down next to Naruto's legs and simply stared at him for a moment in silence. When Naruto met his gaze, it was Sasuke who appeared to be deeply disturbed now. "I knew you were stressed about school but…I never imagined it could be this bad."

Naruto's lips twisted in a grimace as he leaned heavily back on the headboard, shoulders drooping in defeat. "I guess it all started to pile up and I just snapped under the pressure... This is so lame." Sasuke could see that Naruto was embarrassed, but this wasn't something either one of them could afford to just sweep under the rug and forget about. They needed to talk about this.

Sasuke laid a comforting hand on Naruto's shin. "Do you want me to call your parents?"

Naruto let out a sigh. "No. No sense in worrying them now. I'm fine."

"I found you on the floor."

"I'm starting to feel better now. Really." Sasuke wanted to argue the point, but even he could see the colour returning to the blond's cheeks. He just looked miserable now. "I have no idea what I'm doing here, Sasuke. In college. The truth is...I'm scared shitless." Now that Naruto was finally being honest with him, Sasuke was feeling a bit overwhelmed himself. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and make the situation worse.

"What are you so afraid of?"

"Failing." Naruto seemed surprised by his own straightforwardness, but he carried on as if he had begrudgingly accepted that he couldn't keep how he felt to himself any longer. He was caught. "You, my parents. I don't want to let anybody down."

"You haven't let us down, Naruto," was Sasuke's immediate response. "And you haven't failed either." Sasuke knew Minato and Kushina were Naruto's biggest fans. They were proud of their son, and rightfully so. Sasuke couldn't see Naruto's parents as being anything but supportive in this situation. Even if they were a little upset at first, mostly from the shock, Sasuke was sure that having them by Naruto's side would make a world of difference to the blond.

"Do you really think everyone gets it right on the first try? Trial and error makes us who we are. It's how we learn from our mistakes. This is just a minor setback. It's not the end of the world."

"You don't get it, Sasuke." And maybe he didn't. Sasuke had never been in Naruto's position before. He never doubted what he wanted to do with his life. He never lost sight of that ultimate goal of becoming a teacher. Naruto never had a path to follow, and it was only now that Sasuke was finding out just how much this has been affecting him. "I got a slow start on college and now I'm falling even further behind."

Sasuke had learned from past experiences that sometimes all Naruto needed was to know he wasn't alone. Sasuke could ramble on and on about the logical side of things, but in the end they were just words. Naruto needed to be reminded that he could lean on Sasuke in times of great distress. The Uchiha knew sometimes Naruto found it hard to show his vulnerability, and Sasuke shared the same struggles. This is why he found it so important to remind Naruto that he would always be willing to listen to his boyfriend's troubles. Just as he knew Naruto would do the same for him.

They were a team.

Sasuke scooted up the bed and took Naruto's hand in his own, squeezing reassuringly when Naruto glanced down at their clasped hands. "You don't have to go through this alone. We will figure this out together." Sasuke offered a comforting smile when Naruto slowly glanced back up at him. "Whatever you need I am here for you. Okay?"

Naruto still looked hesitant to agree, but a small curl of his lips gave Sasuke the reassurance that Naruto understood Sasuke was, and would always be, on his side. "So what do I do now?" Naruto asked after a moment of silence passed between them.

"I think you should call the campus counselor and see if you can schedule an appointment for tomorrow morning. See what she has to say. Maybe she can help you make a plan and give you some peace of mind."

Taking a slow, deep breath through his nose, Naruto nodded and agreed without a fight. "Yeah, okay. That...that sounds like a good idea." Naruto stuffed his hand in his jeans pocket and pulled out his cell phone, but his thumb hesitated over the screen. Not wanting to push his boyfriend in his fragile state, Sasuke waited patiently until Naruto eventually placed the phone back down on his lap. "Could you just... Would you mind sitting with me for awhile? I need to work up the nerve, you know?"

Without a word Sasuke pulled himself up to Naruto's side and Naruto automatically wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulder, pulling him close. Sasuke leaned his head on the blond's shoulder and gently closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment to soak everything in. Sasuke was feeling a lot of mixed emotions right now, but he hoped and prayed that Naruto would be back to his old self by tomorrow. Nothing in the world felt right when Naruto wasn't acting like Naruto. Nothing in Sasuke's world anyway.

How did he not see it?

* * *

Naruto ended up having to schedule an appointment that coming Thursday morning because the counselor was all booked up. Unfortunately for the blond, that meant he had to spend the next two days in a state of complete dread. Sasuke suffered from this as well because every time he tried to reassure his boyfriend that everything was going to be alright, Naruto would get so lost in his head with worry that Sasuke wasn't even sure if the blond had heard him in the first place.

Intentional or not, Naruto started to create a distance between them that put a bit of a strain on their relationship. He was so self-conscious about coming off as pathetic and weak that he'd rather hide in his room than actually face Sasuke and open up again like he did that night. Sasuke tried to be understanding of how Naruto was feeling, but it was hard to see him like this. It was hard to accept the fact that Naruto didn't want to be near him right now. Usually the blond couldn't get enough of him. But Sasuke was starting to realize that in desperate situations, Naruto felt the urge to run away. And he'd crash and burn later when he just couldn't do it anymore.

It was how he coped. Or at least pretended to cope.

The day before his meeting Naruto tossed and turned the whole night. He couldn't shut his brain off long enough to relax, and poor Sasuke could only sigh and cuddle up next to him in hopes of calming him down enough so they could both get some sleep. Even Keiko looked particularly pissed off for being kept up all night.

Come Friday morning, Sasuke made them both french toast with fresh fruit for breakfast and he tried to keep the conversation light until it was time for his first class. Naruto decided to take his morning classes off and go into the counselor's office with as little stress from prior commitments as possible. Only this time, he did inform his proffesors. Sasuke was just glad Naruto would be able to talk to a professional. One who could hopefully help him in ways that Sasuke simply wasn't qualified to.

He whole-heartedly believed that this would be good for Naruto. And he tried to stress this as gently as possible as he watched his boyfriend pace around the apartment, working himself up into a tizzy before he had even left the house.

Naruto had an hour to kill before his appointment, and in desperation to keep his nerves in check, he started texting Kiba a few stupid memes to distract himself, knowing full well his best friend would send some back that would undoubtedly make him chuckle. He really needed a good laugh right now.

Sasuke lingered for as long as he could, but eventually he kissed Naruto on the cheek and wished him luck before leaving the apartment. He didn't tell Naruto, but Sasuke secretly asked Keiko to keep an eye on him before he left. Sasuke was 99.9% sure she didn't listen to him.

The Uchiha texted Naruto once he was out of his first class, but the blond didn't respond. Sasuke figured he was still in his meeting and it would be rude of Naruto to pull out his phone, so Sasuke went to his next class with minimal concern. He didn't hear from Naruto for the rest of the day, but when Sasuke arrived home late in the afternoon, Naruto was already on the couch in the living room, a pencil stuck behind his ear, and surrounded by loose papers and empty folders.

"Hey, how did it go? What did the counselor say?" Sasuke got straight to the point after dropping his bag near the front door and coming to lean on the back of his chair. Naruto glanced up at him briefly before looking back down at the papers in his hands, only to change his mind and quickly dart his eyes back to Sasuke when the Uchiha showed signs of impatience.

"We talked about a lot of things actually. I told her I had never done anything like this before and she was really cool about it. She kept coaching me on how to calm my breathing and put everything into perspective. It wasn't nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be. We pretty much spend the first hour just getting to know each other."

"Did it help at all? Do you feel any better?"

Naruto stretched his neck to one side before sinking back all the way into the cushions. "Yeah, I mean to an extent. There's still a lot that needs to be sorted out obviously. She wants me to come back in tomorrow and figure out my next step."

Satisfied with Naruto's response, Sasuke wandered into the kitchen to grab a snack. "What are all those papers?" he asked on his way by.

Naruto started flipping through said papers again as he replied. "Career aptitude tests, different courses I might be interested in. Basically a lot of homework. I don't know how I'm gonig to figure all this shit out. I have the attention span of a goldfish."

"You don't want to try and stick it out until the end of the year?"

Sasuke turned back around in time to see Naruto shaking his head. "That's what Mrs H said too. But I can't just sit there and pretend to be happy and engaged with my classes because I'm _not_. It would drive me crazy. Besides, if I just left things the way they are now I might end up running away and regretting it later on. I don't want to give myself that opportunity."

Sasuke was impressed by Naruto's sudden conviction to make a change. After spending only one morning with someone who actually knew how to handle these types of situations, Naruto was already showing signs of optimism. Or at least he was willing to do the work to make himself happy again. It was a complete 180 from his behaviour the last couples of days and Sasuke found himself smiling at the back of Naruto's head.

"Why did I have to have my midlife crisis in the middle of the semester?" Naruto mumbled to himself while scribbling down on some of the loose papers he had now moved onto the coffee table.

"You're only 23," Sasuke smirked as he lifted the cup up to his mouth and took a sip.

Naruto shot a quick look over his shoulder. "Would you let me be dramatic for five minutes?" Sasuke simply raised his eyebrows and watched as Naruto went back to messing around with the papers. At least he was starting to act a little more like himself. While he watched Naruto work, an idea popped into Sasuke's head, and while Naruto was distracted with his papers he walked up behind him, leaned over the back of the couch and loosely wrapped his arms around the blond's neck.

Naruto turned his head and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye as Sasuke's chin rested against his shoulder. Naruto smiled a little and quirked an eyebrow as he asked, "Can I help you?" in a light tone, showing he didn't really mind the interruption.

"I have an idea," Sasuke told him. He tried and failed to keep a smile of his own off his face as he explained his brilliant idea to get Naruto to pay more attention to him. He didn't mention that last part for obvious reasons, but he knew in his heart of hearts that was the ultimate goal—to get them to spend some time together. "I would very much like to take you out tomorrow evening."

"Out," Naruto repeated the word attentively, now looking him straight in the eye as best he could from the angle he was sitting at. "You mean, like a date?"

"Not _like_ a date. _A._ _Date._ It's been awhile since we've gone out together, just the two of us."

"Has it?" Naruto's face took on a thoughtful expression. "Yeah, I guess it has been a couple weeks since we actually went out. Isn't living with me enough for you?" Sasuke's unimpressed grimace was met with laughter and Naruto leaning over to kiss him on the cheek apologetically.

"It's not the same thing and you know it," Sasuke told him flatly, now wearing a frown.

"Yeah, you're right. I do. So, what did you have in mind?" A flutter of excitement began to rise in Sasuke's chest. Naruto appeared to be open to the idea. Maybe he was ready to let Sasuke in again.

"Let me take you to a nice restaurant. I'll order us a bottle of wine with dinner. My treat."

Naruto's eyes widen a little in surprise. "What's the occasion?" he asked curiously. Sasuke's voice and expression took on a more serious tone as his hold around the blond tightened ever so slightly. "I know you've had a hard couple of days. I want to do something nice for you," Sasuke lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "Take your mind off things. At least for one night."

Naruto looked at him almost sympathetically. It wasn't the reaction Sasuke was hoping for. "Sasuke, my head is so scrambled I don't think anything could make me forget the shitstorm that is my life right now." Naruto lifted the stack of papers that were still on his lap and let them flutter back down as if to prove his point. Just when the sting of rejection began to sink in, Naruto turned it around by saying, "But I really appreciate the gesture. Hell yes you can take me out. Play your cards right and I might even let you get to third base."

Sasuke tilted his head and let out an amused hum before connecting their lips in a soft kiss. Just as Sasuke's hand began lowering to Naruto's chest, Naruto pulled his head back and gently grabbed Sasuke's hand before it could slip into the collar of his shirt. "But right now I really need to read through all this crap," Naruto explained apologetically. "Do you mind?"

Sasuke hadn't expected Naruto to throw him down on the couch and take him right then and there just for making the offer, but Sasuke knew he would be lying if he said he wasn't a little disappointed that Naruto stopped him. It had been a stressful couple of days, after all.

 _Tomorrow,_ Sasuke assured himself. _Tomorrow we'll have the whole night together. I can wait._

"How can I help?" Sasuke asked, letting go of Naruto and standing back up behind the couch.

"Food?" Naruto offered, once again becoming distracted by his current task. Sasuke nodded and wandered into the kitchen once again to peruse through a couple of the cupboards, searching for something to cook.

"How does tacos sound?" Silence followed his question and Sasuke turned around to see Naruto completely hunched over the coffee table, scanning each line written on the page and continuiously erasing and changing his answers. Sasuke opened his mouth to ask the question again, but seeing the concentration Naruto was putting into his work made him keep quiet. Although he wasn't thrilled about being ignored, Sasuke knew he shouldn't disturb Naruto right now.

The blond's future was more important than what they were going to eat for dinner anyways...

* * *

The next day Naruto went to all of his classes but ended up staying long after Sasuke had already gone home for his next appointment with the counselor. Sasuke hadn't heard from the blond all day, and it wasn't for lack of trying, so he didn't really know what was going on or if Naruto was making any progress or not.

Eventually Sasuke forced himself to push away any unplesant thoughts and set about getting ready for their dinner date. He took a long, hot shower and spritzed himself with the colonge that Naruto had commented positively on once or twice in the past. Sasuke shrugged on one of his nicer black blazers and paired it with a simple white T underneath. He finished the look with some black skinny jeans that again Naruto had made a point to comment on inappropriately while on a shopping trip last month.

He looked himself over in the mirror once, then twice before nodding assuredly and walking into the kitchen to give Keiko her supper before they left for the evening. Once Keiko was taken care of, Sasuke wandered aimlessly around the apartment, organizing books and folding laundry in an attempt to kill time. Tonight he really wanted to focus on reconnecting with Naruto. Now that the Uchiha had a moment to look back and reflect on this past month, he realized that Naruto had been a bit quieter than usual. He wasn't exactly distant, but his typical enthusiasm was lacking at the best of times.

Now that Sasuke thought about it, they hadn't done _that_ in at least a couple of weeks. More often than not Naruto was jumping his bones at any given opportunity. Unsurprisingly the blond had a very active libido that sometimes Sasuke just couldn't keep up with. He'd often reject his boyfriend when Naruto would strike at inopportune times, but now that Naruto wasn't even trying to bed him it made Sasuke want him all the more. He was becoming impatient.

Sasuke was confident enough in himself now to try and initiate it, but Naruto just didn't seem into it. Of course Sasuke understood now that all this odd behaviour stems from worry and stress, but still. He was hoping tonight would bring that spark back into their relationship, and hopefully would end with both of them happy and satisfied.

When the time they had agreed on to leave for their date night had come and gone, Sasuke could feel the increasing spike of anxiety ripple through his chest. He and Naruto hadn't spoken since this morning, and although the Uchiha had tried to be vague on where they were going―he wanted to surprise the blond for once, instead of the other way around―he couldn't imagine Naruto forgetting their plans so quickly.

He had sent off a few meaningless texts this afternoon, but Naruto quickly informed Sasuke that he was still in his meeting and unable to chat. Naruto wasn't unreasonably late, but late enough for Sasuke's mind to wander. And of course that's when the darker thoughts began creeping their way in― _what if something happened to him? What if he got in an accident?―_ and it was those increasingly upsetting thoughts that gave Sasuke the incentive to call his boyfriend's cell phone.

He was probably jumping to conclusions a little _too_ quickly, but the relief that flooded through him when Naruto picked up with an airy, "Hey," was unmistakable. Sometimes it was truly frightening how easily this man could unknowingly manipulate Sasuke's emotions. But hey, at least it was a two way street.

"Hey," Sasuke breathed, allowing himself to come down from the initial panic, muscles relaxing and his grip on the phone loosening. He could make out the familiar sounds of the inside of a car rattling and the subtle hum of an engine through the line, and he came to the conclusion that Naruto was driving. That was a good sign at least, wasn't it? "Where are you?" Sasuke questioned Naruto with more conviction in his tone. _I made a reservation_ was on the tip of Sasuke's tongue, but he decided to hold off until he heard Naruto's excuse for keeping him waiting. _Then_ he would voice his grievances.

"Where–" Naruto seemed to stop mid-thought, took a second to rethink what he wanted to say, and then let out a curse instead.

Okay. So that probably wasn't a good sign.

Sasuke could feel his mood deflate almost immediately as a string of _shit shit shit_ s repeated rhythmically through the speaker, followed by the sound of hands tapping against the steering wheel restlessly. "You're not on your way, are you?" Sasuke wasn't able to keep the bitterness out of his voice and Naruto must have noticed because his response sounded sheepish at best.

"We were supposed to have dinner." Sasuke could practically feel Naruto's guilt radiating through the phone. "I thought I–" he paused again, sounding frazzled. "I meant to call you…"

Sasuke thought about repeating his earlier question of where his boyfriend was going if not on his way home, probably more of a demand now than a question, but Naruto beat him to it with the answer. "I'm heading to my parents place. I'd turn around but– I'm like 15 minutes away and I promised–" Naruto exhaled deeply through his nose, trying to calm himself down and collect his thoughts before continuing.

"I really screwed up, Sasuke. I stupidly texted my dad last night and told him everything, and _of course_ he told my mom and apparently she's been freaking out all day. She called me at lunch bordering on hysterical, demanding that I come over tonight so she can ream me out in person. Or "help figure out the situation" as my dad put it, and I just agreed without thinking."

Sasuke had to disagree with him there. _Thinking_ seemed to be all the blond did lately―grossly _over-thinking_ was more like it. It wasn't a terribly hard concept to wrap his head around with everything going on that Naruto _had_ simply forgotten. He just couldn't let himself entertain the thought, too riled up on excitement, wanting to believe that Naruto wouldn't let him down.

Sasuke could understand Naruto getting mixed up, but it was little to no comfort in the moment. He was really looking forward to their date and the inevitable intimacy that would follow late into the night behind closed doors. Wrapped in Naruto's comforting embrace, letting himself be swept up in the passion of having been denied for so long. He just wanted to be close to the blond again, and the small flicker of desperation in his heart was starting to get harder to suppress with _patience_ and _sympathy_.

"You're mad, I get that. You have every right to be. But I'll make it up to you, I swear. Look―I really gotta go. We can talk when I get home. I'll text you before heading back, okay?"

 _No, you won't_ an increasingly nasty voice sneered in Sasuke's head. _You'll just forget again._ "Alright," is what he said out loud.

"Yeah, okay. I really am―I'll-I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"Love you—" Naruto hung up the phone. "…too."

When Naruto got home that night Sasuke was already in his bed, but he woke up when he heard Naruto shuffling through the front door. Sasuke was lying on his side with his back to the door when Naruto quietly opened the door and peered inside. Sasuke gave no indication that he was awake, and after a moment of Sasuke feeling eyes on him, Naruto closed the door again and his footsteps retreated down the hall.

Sasuke listened to the sink in the bathroom turn on and to Naruto brushing his teeth. After the water turned off and the footsteps returned, Sasuke waited. And waited. And waited… Until he realized Naruto wasn't coming to bed with him. It shouldn't have hurt as much as it did. Naruto knew Sasuke was upset with him. He probably thought Sasuke didn't want him there.

He couldn't be more wrong.

* * *

 **Move along. The next chapter is here like I promised :P**


	12. System Reboot: Part 2

**THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! Don't worry. There's still one more coming your way, then it's time to say adios.**

 **I'd like to explain a little why I struggled so much with this chapter in particular, but if you just want to read the freaking chapter already please skip this!**

 **I made a point of highlighting Naruto's struggle in college way back in Meet the Parents knowing I wanted to come back and address it. That being said, I have never been, nor will I ever probably experience college/university for myself. I know little to nothing about how it all works and I stupidly made the decision to write about it. In the end I tried to go into as little detail about it as possible and just focus on how Sasuke was reacting to everything. I feel really stupid for making this choice, but I did the best I could with what little information I had. I'm desperately trying to tie up any loose ends with these last few chapters and this was a glaringly obvious one thanks to yours truly. All I can do is move on and try to be smarter in the future.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss.**

 **Warnings: Frottage, mutual masturbation**

* * *

Naruto woke up the next morning feeling exhausted. He had a hell of a time explaining to his parents why he had been skipping classes. His father was as calm and collected as always, but he had gotten an earful from his mother for keeping secrets. Once all the yelling had gotten out of the way and Naruto explained how he felt, Kushina sympathized with her son and gave him a few crushing hugs when he explained what he had been going through this past month. More like this past year in secret.

They chatted for almost three hours straight until his mother was satisfied with what Naruto was doing to make things better and let him go. Before he left they both gave him a hug and told him they loved him no matter what. Of course Sasuke was right. Naruto's parents didn't look at him as a failure. They only saw their son struggling and wanted to help him in any way they could. Naruto knew sometimes he took his parents for granted, but god was he lucky to have them. And that was something he was never going to let himself forget.

Naruto spent his time driving home trying to come up with some way to apologize to Sasuke for screwing up their date. And possibly just as bad, Naruto wasn't even really that surprised he had forgotten about it. This whole week had been a complete whirl-wind of events for him. He was so out of sorts and feeling like he was being pulled in every direction desperately trying to find something to latch onto.

Sasuke had been so quietly supportive and in the background that he just… stayed in the background. And Naruto was so oblivious to it because there was just _so much_ going on. He felt like he was trying to juggle all these different balls at the same time and now he had dropped the most important ball of all: Sasuke.

Naruto was going to fix it, but first he had to fix himself, and that meant deciding once and for all what he wanted to do with his life. It was the only way things between him and Sasuke could go back to normal. Naruto didn't like the person he was becoming, and he was fairly certain Sasuke didn't either. He decided to use that as motivation to get his shit together and figure things out.

When he finally got home and saw Sasuke fast asleep in his bed, Naruto didn't want to wake him up, so he went to his own room instead. He knew he'd be tossing and turning most of the night anyway, and Sasuke needed his rest. The last thing he wanted was to bring Sasuke down with him.

Naruto stayed in bed longer than usual drifting in and out of sleep, so when he finally wandered out of his bedroom, hopped in the shower, and got dressed, it was closer to 11 am. He found Sasuke in the living room sitting on his chair wearing a jacket and tying up his shoes. "You going somewhere?" Naruto asked as he approached his boyfriend from behind, unfortunately noticing how Sasuke's shoulders tensed from hearing the sound of his voice.

"Konan is picking the flowers for her bouquet today. I told Itachi I'd tag along and buy them lunch."

"Really? You didn't mention it."

Sasuke finally stood up and turned around to face him. His response was perfectly stoic. "I told you two weeks ago." Naruto frowned at that but he was smart enough not to argue. If Sasuke said he told him then he told him. Only one of them was currently losing their mind.

On instinct Naruto let out a nervous laugh and scratched at the back of his head. "I, uh, guess I forgot. My bad," he apologized sheepishly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed seemingly taking Naruto's unintentional laughter as indifference towards not just this, but everything that had been happening prior. The Uchiha didn't storm out though, however temping the option may be. He waited and gave Naruto the opportunity to say something. Whether or not Naruto chose to jump on the opportunity was totally up to him.

"Listen…" Naruto began slowly as the silence lingered on between them. "I'm really sorry about last night. I know things have been a little rough lately… but I want you to go out and have a good time today. We can talk when you get home."

It wasn't exactly the apology Sasuke was hoping for, but it was still something. "When I get home," Sasuke agreed with a curt nod. Naruto watched as his boyfriend walked towards the front door and put his hand on the knob. Sasuke unexpectedly turned back around and offered, "You could come with me if you want."

"I'd like to, but—"

"You have a meeting," Sasuke finished for him. Naruto could see the rejection on Sasuke's face and it hurt like hell knowing he put it there, but what else was he supposed to do? Sasuke quickly left after that and shut the door behind him unnecessarily hard. The sound was like a punch to Naruto's gut, and he reluctantly slunk back into his room to prepare for the meeting.

* * *

Sasuke met up with his brother and his fiancé a few miles outside of town at some obscure flower shop off the highway that Sasuke had never heard of. After exchanging a few quick greetings the three of them shuffled inside the rickety little shop and were greeted by an older woman with white hair arranging a flower display by the back doors. "Hello," she said with a pleasant smile. "Can I help you find anything?"

"We're just looking," Konan told her, and the woman nodded adding if they needed any help to let her know. The three wandered around the shop with no particular destination in mind. Konan bent over and sniffed at a few flowers, making faces at most of them until Itachi started chuckling at her. She quickly righted herself and smacked his arm with the back of her hand, rolling her eyes when Itachi simply smiled at her and continued to follow her lead around the store. Sasuke was following behind them when his brother turned and said, "You didn't have to come you know. I was prepared to suffer through this on my own."

Overhearing the end of her fiancé's comment, Konan stopped abruptly and turned around with hands on her hips and a frown on her face. "I'm not anymore thrilled about this than you are," she stated bluntly. "Blame my mother. She's the one who wanted me to follow tradition. When I told her I'd rather carry churros she hit me with a newspaper." It was Konan's flat delivery of the line that made Sasuke chuckle.

"I don't mind," he said addressing his brother. "I just hope I'm not intruding on a special moment here. I would imagine most couples planning the details of their wedding wouldn't want to drag along their annoying kid brother."

"You can annoy us all you want, Sasuke. We're all going to be family soon. It's part of the package." Konan's acceptance meant a lot to Sasuke, and he found himself smiling while watching her lean in and analyze the different types of flowers. Itachi gently nudged his brother with his elbow while Konan wasn't paying attention.

"The queen has spoken."

"Does that say _cockscomb_? Who the hell came up with these names?" Konan's voice quietly faded into the background as she continued to mumble irritably to herself about how absurd this whole situation was. The Uchiha brothers held back, giving the eldest a chance to start a conversation.

"Naruto didn't want to come?" Itachi eventually asked. He wasn't being judgemental, considering he didn't even want to be here himself. Sasuke fidgeted from the question and began fiddling with some of the tags in near by pots. He faked interest in one of the plants as he replied, keeping his face out of view of his brother. Itachi would see through him in an instant.

"I asked but he was, uh, busy."

"Things still a little rocky between you two?" Itachi was Sasuke's confidant, so of course he had kept his brother up to date on what was happening. He was regretting it now though because he really was trying to have a nice time today. Not just for himself, but for his brother and future sister-in-law as well. And for once that involved avoiding all topics that revolved around Naruto and their "rocky relationship" as Itachi put it.

It wasn't often that Sasuke didn't even want to think about the blond, let alone talk about him with his brother. But today he wanted to forget about his troubles at home and just pretend everything was fine. That is until he and Naruto had their chat later this afternoon. But of course his annoyingly persistent brother couldn't leave well enough alone. Didn't Sasuke have the right to mope in solitude? "We're fine," Sasuke told him, knowing full well how shit he was at lying and that his brother never fell for it when they were growing up anyway.

"Sasuke."

 _I knew it!_

"Don't Sasuke me," the youngest Uchiha scolded before giving up the ruse and turning to face his brother who now had his arms crossed over his chest like a disapproving parent. "Today is about you and your fiancé. For once I'd like to discuss someone else's relationship besides my own."

"We've been talking about my relationship all day. That's why we're here."

"Well talk some more," Sasuke huffed before sliding his way past Itachi in a poor attempt to escape the conversation.

"There's nothing wrong with talking it out with someone outside of the situation," Itachi continued as he followed his brother around the store in the least threatening way possible as to not scare Sasuke off further. "It's okay to not know how to handle something. You've never been in a long term relationship before. You can't expect to have all the answers all the time. It's not logical."

Sasuke wanted to ask when exactly he _would_ have all the answers, and just how many years he and Naruto would have to be together before he stopped feeling so clueless. But that would mean he was engaging in the conversation just like his brother wanted, and Sasuke was feeling particularly rebellious at the moment, so he avoided the topic with sarcasm. "So now you think you're some kind of love guru? Is that it?"

"I am getting married in two months," Itachi didn't miss a beat. "And you're projecting."

Sasuke opened his mouth with some kind of aggravated rebuttal but before he could speak, Konan waved over her shoulder to get Itachi's attention. "Babe, look at the name of this one. _Goldenrod_. Is this a joke?" she asked in pure befuddlement.

Itachi did a quick sweep of the main room of the shop to make sure the owner hadn't heard before pointing off in another direction to his right. "Why don't you try the purple over there?" he suggested with an amused smirk, knowing Konan's favourite colour would undoubtedly capture her attention.

Konan could barely hold back the eye roll that was so desperate to escape her head as she said, "Yeah, can't go wrong with _bush_ _morning glory,_ " before wandering off to do as suggested. Now that Konan was on her own, the owner took the opportunity to approach her and start making suggestions woman to woman. Konan nodded politely to everything she said, but you could practically feel the tension in the air from Konan having to hold back her snark.

Sasuke waited until he was sure they were out of ear shot to reluctantly start spilling his guts. There really was no place for him to hide, and if he was being honest with himself, there was a part of him that wanted to talk about it. Why did he even bother trying to avoid it in the first place? "It's not what he's doing―I'm glad he's trying to make life better for himself―it's the way he's doing it that quite frankly, sucks."

Itachi didn't react positively or negatively to Sasuke's decision to open up. His expression remained perfectly neutral. "Have you tried talking to him?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Sasuke shook his head and turned away. "He's stressed out enough as is. If I made the choice to confront Naruto it would only make matters worse for him. It's not about me." It was a little different since Naruto himself had now extended the so-called olive branch. But even now, as upset as Sasuke was about the situation, there was still a part of him that feared discussing it would only heighten the emotions that were already running high in their household.

From the outside looking in, Sasuke always appeared to be the one most put together in their relationship. That's not to say Naruto was unhinged or anything like that, but it was no secret Sasuke had much better control over himself and his actions. Or at least he did. Things were different now. He had so much more to lose. Maybe this time he couldn't afford to be passive.

Itachi seemed to be trying to drive that point home. "It's an equal partnership, Sasuke. It's about both of you. If you're not happy about something you're allowed to tell him. That man doesn't have a malicious bone in his body. You know he's not trying to hurt you. If you just sat him down and told him how you felt, I guarantee he would change his behaviour." Sasuke didn't believe that Naruto was purposely trying to hurt him, it was true. But that didn't make him feel any better either.

"Your brother is right." Konan who was now on her own⸺most likely after unintentionally scaring off the owner with her very dry wit⸺startled Sasuke by her sudden presence behind him. He briefly peered over his shoulder at her before turning back to look at his brother, eyebrow raised in displeasure.

"It's nice to know my love life is now an open book," he said, oozing sarcasm.

Itachi lifted both his shoulders, fighting off a smirk. "Part of the package," he reminded Sasuke. The youngest Uchiha let out a low sigh of resignation and the conversation was dropped. At least for the moment. Sensing the change in the mood, Konan marched right in between the brothers and used her fingers to point to two different flowers on either side of the isle.

"Okay, should I get camel toe cluster or penile passion?" she announced deliberately loud enough for the old woman behind the counter to raise her head and give her a strange look. Sasuke's eyes widened as he stared at his future sister-in-law only to then glance to his right and notice his brother was doing the exact same thing. Konan didn't follow up her question with any clever remark, as if she hadn't just said something completely shocking. It only took Itachi a couple of seconds to catch on.

"You made those up," he deadpanned.

"But you believed me for a second, didn't you."

* * *

Later that afternoon Sasuke arrived home with more of a hopeful attitude towards the situation with Naruto than when he had left that morning. Whether Sasuke wanted to hear it at the time or not, his brother's words always had a calming effect on his psyche. At least things were going to be solved today instead of continuing to deteriorate the more time passed.

The Uchiha wallked into the apartment and saw Naruto sitting at the kitchen table with the landline held up to his ear. Naruto greeted him with a quick wave of his and hand and mouthed "two minutes". Sasuke took off his coat and placed it on the hanger. Keiko came to rub at his feet until Sasuke bent down to pet her properly. After a few moments Sasuke wandered into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of water, glancing every now and then out of the corner of his eye at Naruto. The blond was totally engrossed in the conversaion he was having and scribbling down notes on a piece of paper on the table.

Sasuke watched him silently for a moment before slipping out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into his bedroom⸺he closed the door behind him with a quiet click. Sasuke bussied himself with one of his class assignments until he heard Naruto approaching his door. The blond knocked which, yeah, Sasuke wasn't accustomed to, before slowly pushing open the door and stepping inside. Naruto was being glaringly cautious, and Sasuke didn't know what to make of it.

"Hey, how'd it go? Did Konan find what she was looking for?" Naruto asked as he crossed the room and sat down on the edge of Sasuke's bed. Sasuke closed his books and spun around in the desk chair to show Naruto he had Sasuke's full attention. He had a feeling this conversation was going to require lots of eye contact.

"It was okay. Konan's not really interested in all these little details. She could care less what flowers she's walking down the isle with." Naruto nodded along with what Sasuke said, clearly offering him the same curtosy and listening intently.

"So no luck then?"

"I'm not really sure to be honest. She was too busy mocking everything to make a desicion." Despite the confused little tilt to his head, Naruto's lips curved up on the sides in a small smile. Sasuke allowed himself to offer a tiny smile back before he asked, "Who were you on the phone with? The counselor?"

Naruto started as if he had just remembered something important. "Oh, yeah. I was. I actually wanted to ask you about something." Naruto hesitated until Sasuke nodded, encouraging him to continue. "What do you think about something like, uh, advertising?"

It took Sasuke a moment to realize that Naruto wasn't actually asking Sasuke his personal opinion on advertising, but he was asking in relation to Naruto himself. "You mean for you?" Sasuke asked just for clarification.

"Yeah. Like marketing or a sales rep or something."

Sasuke took a moment to think about it, and the more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea became. Naruto looked visibly nervous when Sasuke opened his mouth to respond. "Naruto... I think that's perfect."

The blond's face immediately lit up. "Really?"

"I can't believe we never thought about this before. You're friendly, you're charismatic, you're creative. It makes perfect sense." Naruto sat up a little straighter and fought to supress a grin as Sasuke continued, "What pushed you in this direction?"

"Actually, Mrs H suggested it," Naruto explained. "Today we looked into some courses I could take for business and she got really excited about it all."

"What about you? How do you feel?" Sasuke felt like holding his breath while he waited for Naruto to get his thoughts in order.

"Good, I think," Naruto started a little unsurly then gradually gained more confidence as he continued. "I mean after going over everything I guess I did feel kind of inspired. Exhausted too, but mostly excited." Sasuke didn't want to push this idea onto Naruto just because it was the first thing that seems to have caught the blond's interest. Naruto needed to be absoutely sure this was something he wanted to do, and Sasuke needed to know if things were going to change between them because of it.

"Is this something you could see yourself seriously doing in the future? Do you think you can make this commitmet to work hard and get it done?" Naruto looked down at his lap for a moment in thought, but he eventually raised his head again and met Sasuke's gaze.

"Yeah. I think I can. I wanna try this."

Sasuke got up from his chair and sat down beside Naruto on the bed, wrapping his arms around the blond in a hug. Sasuke heard Naruto let out a light huff as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's back and leaned into his body. It was the first time in awhile that Sasuke felt there was actually being progess made. He couldn't help but be excited for Naruto, and the prospect of things returning to normal seemed so much closer.

Sasuke wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or say now to open up the topic, but Naruto decided to make the choice for him. A quiet sigh escaped from Sasuke's lips as Naruto gently leaned them back down on the bed. It felt like forever since Naruto held him like this. Cradling Sasuke with one arm and using the other to prop himself up, Naruto hovered over Sasuke's face and smiled when the Uchiha relaxed back into the mattress.

"I'm sorry," Naruto finally said, looking down at him guiltily. "I know I haven't exactly been an A class boyfriend this past week... And maybe not even before that. I've just been so caught up with school, and my future, and all this other bullshit―"

Sasuke shook his head once before leaning up and cutting the blond off with a chaste kiss. "It's not bullshit. I'm proud of you for taking it all so seriously. You should never apologize for caring about your future," Sasuke told him while he gently stroked the blond's forearm soothingly. Sasuke truly meant what he said. He didn't want Naruto to think what he was doing here wasn't worth his time because it was. Sasuke knew he was important to Naruto, but so was the rest of the blond's life. Looking back now, Sasuke felt like he had treated Naruto so unfairly, and it was all because of his stupid insecurities.

"But I _should_ apologize for ignoring you," Naruto quickly argued back. "You're my boyfriend and I've been neglecting you. I never thought I would turn out to be that guy. This was such a huge thing in my life―my Grandma's death probably being the only thing to come close―but still; I know that's no excuse for being a dick. I should always make time for you. For us. I don't want you to think I'm, I don't know, trying to pull away from you or something. Because I'm not. Like, at all. Even if it sometimes seems like I am, believe me when I say that's the last thing I really want."

The more worked up Naruto became, the guiltier Sasuke felt for all of his brooding these past couple of days. He thought he knew Naruto so well at this point, and yet he was too blinded by his own hurt feelings to realize Naruto had been doing what he always did. He invested all of his time into something he wanted and believed in, gave it 110%, and came out on the other side better off than he was before. He was a go-getter. He made things happen. How could Sasuke have let such a foreign feeling of abandonment and loneliness stop him from noticing that Naruto never truly meant to reject him in the first place? He was just being Naruto.

And it was a part of Naruto that Sasuke loved the most.

Sasuke believed they both realized that there had been a lack of communication between them. Despite living in the same apartment, they hadn't actually talked to each other about how the other was feeling. It was a flaw both of them would have to work on, but Naruto's regret had already been established and Sasuke had no interest in making him grovel. He could forgive the blond and move past it. Staying upset would only move them backwards, not forwards.

The way Naruto was looking down at Sasuke now—his normally vibrant blue eyes full of eagerness and life now flooded with guilt—it was so endearing how easily Naruto could let his walls down when he made up his mind to, how through a single look Sasuke could see his true feelings without reservations.

Sasuke couldn't even begin to express out loud—let alone in his own mind—how grateful he was to have found someone so emotionally honest to counter balance his own somewhat stoic approach to conflict. Itachi hadn't been wrong when he said Sasuke had nothing to compare this situation to. Nothing even remotely coming close in similarity that he could draw knowledge and experience from to come up with a viable solution.

Through all of this confusion and frustration, Sasuke never questioned Naruto's character as a whole, just his decision making. Never once had he thought Naruto was a selfish man who only cared about himself. Naruto was a _good_ man. Maybe a little oblivious at times, but still _good_. And Sasuke hoped one day to follow in his footsteps: lead by Naruto's example and believe he has the right to express himself openly without fear of judgment or rejection. Because Naruto really loved him.

Even in the midst of his lowest points, Naruto Uzumaki loved him. And somehow, that was enough.

Feeling the weight of the conversation lingering between them, Sasuke tried to take some of the levity out of the moment by lightening the tone. "Personally I've enjoyed this time to myself. It was nice not having to watch my back for someone to jump me 24/7."

No doubt picking up on the shift in Sasuke's voice, Naruto carelessly rolled his eyes and plopped down on top of Sasuke, smirking when the man let out a quiet grunt of protest. "Ha ha," Naruto laughed sarcastically before burying his face into the Uchiha's neck, inhaling his familiar scent. " _I_ on the other hand have missed being with you like crazy. I guess that's my fault too. I coulda done something about it but I was too distracted."

Curious lips began tracing along Sasuke's neck, leaving hot open mouthed kisses in their wake. "You don't seem distracted now," Sasuke quietly exhaled through his lips, and if that wasn't a blatant invitation Sasuke didn't know what was.

Naruto let out a low hum of approval that Sasuke felt reverberate from his chest, and it was then Sasuke became hyper aware of how _good_ it felt to have Naruto's warm, solid body pressing him down into the mattress. Sasuke knew he had been spoiled by Naruto's constant affection. A few weeks without it and Sasuke was left wanting. Yet another desire that only Naruto could have awakened in him.

Trying to reserve what little modesty he had left, Sasuke opened his legs and allowed Naruto to slot in between them, effectively pressing their bodies flush together. Sasuke guided Naruto's face back to his so they could share a deep kiss, and when Naruto's tongue swept over his bottom lip, Sasuke opened his mouth willingly and tangled his fingers into blond hair. He wanted Naruto to know how much he missed him. Even if he couldn't properly articulate it out loud.

Soon enough holding each other close and making out just wasn't enough to satisfy either one of them. Naruto rolled his hips experimentally and even through their jeans the friction was wonderful and pulled a moan from both of them. Sasuke could feel Naruto's growing arousal rubbing against his own swelling erection and felt that familiar shiver of anticipation tickle down his spine. Like this, there was no way to deny their lust for one another.

The blond was so close to where Sasuke really wanted him, sliding their bodies together with all the enthusiastic impatience of a horny teenager. It was suddenly all too much and yet still not enough. Sasuke didn't think he'd be able to wait for the entire preperation process, and Naruto seemed to wordlessly agree with him, already fumbling to open their belts. They needed something to take the edge off, so when Naruto's hand finally wrapped around the Uchiha's cock, Sasuke arched into the touch and allowed any other thoughts to drift to the back of his mind.

Naruto swept his fingers through the precome gathering at the tips and used it to slick up their shafts before pressing them together and grabbing both of them in his fist. There wasn't time for slow, drawn out foreplay. Naruto got them both off with quick, messy strokes. Both of them breathing harshly in between deep kisses and lazy thrusts.

"Fuck, I'm gonna come," Naruto groaned as his hand movements became more erratic, more desperate for release. Sasuke could only nod before he was tipping over the edge, letting out a low moan and spilling over Naruto's hand, making a complete mess of them. Naruto followed quickly after, groaning Sasuke's name and slowing his strokes until both of them were spent. He let his hand slip away in favour of looking down at the damage. Luckily Naruto had enough sense to at least attempt to push Sasuke's shirt out of the way during, but their jeans and boxers were a different story.

"Sorry," Naruto said out of habit, but he really wasn't. Emotionally and now physically, Naruto was feeling better than he had in weeks. He assumed Sasuke would be a little upset about having to change and wash their clothes, but he surprised the blond when Sasuke pulled him in close and with an indulgent smile and told him, "Don't be."

Naruto mirrored Sasuke's smile before kissing him once, twice, then a third time. Naruto just couldn't get enough of him, and although he was satisfied for the moment, he kept kissing his boyfriend until Sasuke chuckled and pushed him away. "How about we try for our date again?" Sasuke suggested, glancing down at the time on his watch. "I think I could still make us a reservation for somewhere decent."

"Sounds good to me," Naruto said, now grinning ear to ear. Despite their new plans for the evening, neither one of them seemed all that eager to move away from each other. After a brief moment of companionable silence, Naruto offered, "Shall we pick this up again later?" not even trying to hide the mischievous lilt in his voice. Sasuke grinned before leaning up on his elbows and kissing Naruto once again.

"We shall."

* * *

 ***Takes a deep breath* Okay. We made it through. The end is just around the corner. I promise the last chapter won't take as long to post as this one. (I might cry if I look at how long it's been so I won't) Thank you everyone for waiting and still reading this story. You guys are amazing and have always given me so much confidence and inspiration.**

 **That being said, I will see you all in the next chapter...**


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